My Reality: Growing Pains
by TheWanderer23
Summary: PART 4. *DAUGHTERFIC* Join Libby for more adventures while living with Jody and the girls. Will she stay out of trouble? Or will her tween attitude get the best of her? Hope you enjoy! Co-written with Happygoddess2003. WARNING: Discipline spanking.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hi, guys! Welcome to PART 4! So glad you are all still reading! Hope you're enjoying this as much as Hailstorm3 and I are. We own nothing Supernatural. We own Libby. Thanks for taking the time to read and we appreciate the reviews. This chapter is brought to you by HappyGoddess2003.**_

Chapter 1:

"Libby, wake up, we're here." I didn't recognize the voice… _(It wasn't Sam or Dean's – Umm…)_. "Kid, stop drooling on me." _(It was Claire.)_. Oh yeah, I was leaning against Claire and I was in Jody's truck, and I remembered. I left the bunker. All my stuff was in two suitcases that Sam helped me pack yesterday. I remember asking him for one of his flannels to sleep in and he gave me the one he said had "shrunk". He laughed when I tried it on and it dragged on the floor and wanted to cut it, but I said no _(I wanted to keep it just the way it was.)_. I wish I'd asked Dean for one of his, but I was scared - maybe he'd give me one later. _(If he really wasn't mad at me.)._ My throat got a big lump in it and I swallowed hard _(Stop being a baby. You wanted to come here. You told them yourself.)_.

"I'm up – I'm awake," I muttered, wiping the sleep-crud out of my eyes. _(Eww – I HAD drooled on her.)_.

Jody was already out and opening the trunk. I met her and reached in and grabbed my stuff.

"Ya sure you got that, hon?" Jody asked, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said back to her. "I can make two trips." _(God, Dean made carrying these things look so easy. Sam packed them tight and they were really heavy!)_. I began to drag one across the walkway and down the hall to the room Jody told me I could have. It was Katie's old room. _(I'll never escape my past, my guilt, my failures. I'll never be able to run far enough to get away from them.)_.

Jody came through the doorway with an armful of linens and a few other things. "Thanks, Jody, but I have stuff from home… I mean, from the bunker… I figured I'd just use the same things I had there. _(I don't want to pack them away. I was still mad, but they were my fam.)_. If it's okay, I mean," I added quickly.

"No problem, honey. Take some time and we'll have some sandwiches in awhile. Feel free to figure the house out, or go find one of the girls." She came over and gave me a hug, and I put on my bravest face. "Thank you for everything, Jody," I said. She looked down at me with a scrunch between the eyes, and I could see just a little of the sheriff in her come out. "Just remember this is on a trial basis. Dean and Sam are still in charge of you, so be on your very best." _(Still trying to control me, even though I was in Sioux Falls. Ugh!)_.

All my emotions were jumbled up inside me. I was excited to be outside in the real world, not locked away in a motel or the Impala. Baby. She was their home, not mine, even though she was the first place I'd woken up after they rescued me from the Djinn. I had Baby, the bunker, and now Jody's… **I** wasn't even sure where my home was any more.

I sat on the bed and opened my first suitcase. My emoji pajamas were on top, next to Sam's flannel and a small paper bag labeled "Libby". I knew the scribbling was Dean's. _(I have no idea how he managed to stash that unnoticed. They were both so stealth-y and smart. Sometimes I forget they have other skills besides making crazy.)_ I opened the bag and out fell several Hershey's Candy Bars _(full size!)_ , along with a note that came tumbling out beside them. It said:

Dear Libby,

I thought you might need a little extra chocolate to get you through your first week with all those women! Remember that I love you and I will always be your dad, not only on paper – so ya better be good! We will be checking on you, and I expect you to always answer our phone when you see it's one of us calling – no excuses. Be **good.**

Love,

Dean

P.S. Don't tell Sam I gave you that much candy.

I smiled and hid my chocolate in the top drawer with my socks and underwear. I kept the letter with them, too. I started to feel better abou things, and pretty soon I was working on my second case. Sam had crammed in as much of my stuff as he could, using every inch of space, just like I knew he would. On top there was a clear zip lock bag with a phone charger and note written in his small-lettered, neat print. It read:

Hi, Libs,

I thought you might need an extra phone charger, just in case. Keep this one safe and somewhere you will always be able to find it. Charge your phone every night and be sure to answer it every time we call. If you don't, we'll worry and you'll get in trouble! I'm very proud of you, Libs, and am always just a phone call – or a quick drive - away! Study hard, be a good girl, and listen to Jody. We will be talking soon.

Love,

Sam

P.S. Don't eat all that chocolate Dean gave you in one day – and brush your teeth. Call me any time you want.

He had also put a car charger in with two new cords. I felt tears start to burn, so I quickly put my charger away in the same drawer as my candy. I found my phone and plugged it in, scrolling down to see that Jody, Claire, and Alex's phone numbers were added, along with Jody's private work number. Dean had changed his name to "Sam Has Girl Hair" and Sam had changed his name to "Taller Than Dean." I didn't know I was gonna miss them – not like this. But they were proud of me and so was I. That was a start.

SPNSPNSPN

We all sat in the dining room eating hot turkey sandwiches – and I was learning the "house rules." _(Apparently my Dean-Dad and Sam weren't the only ones.)_.

"So it's pretty easy here," Alex said, taking a bite of mashed potatoes. "If you make a mess, clean it up. Clean out the sink after you brush your teeth. And flush the toilet," she finished.

"Uhhh… let me add…" Claire started, "If a door is closed, knock. Don't use all the hot water. We share chores. Don't think because you're younger you can get away with doing less, kid."

"Claire!" Jody admonished. "Well, its true isn't it?" she retorted.

Jody looked at me with those mom-eyes, and it reminded me of how Sam and Dean looked at me. _(I never really noticed before. Sharp and steady, with a touch of compassion thrown in. Mom-eyes. Huh.)_.

"We all do share the work here, Libby, that's for sure. But if you need help, we'll help you, until you get in the groove. Sound fair?"

"Yep, I'm used to all kinds of rules with Sam and Dean. _(Boy, WAS I, and the consequences for not following them, too!)_. "I have a question."

"Go for it," Claire said with a mischievous smile. Alex just watched me _(I think she was contemplating me or something like that.)_.

"What happens if a rule is broken?"

Everyone looked at Jody. She finished off her glass of wine and appeared to be thinking. "Well, honey I guess that depends on whose rules you break. Sam and Dean have a separate set of expectations for you – you know, specific rules they have given you already and that you followed at the bunker and that you should follow here. They want me to let them know if you start slacking, and just so you know, I agreed."

 _(Tattletale! I wanted to get AWAY from their rules! Now I had MORE to follow and they'd be getting a report on me. Gaaah!)._

Outwardly, I gave Jody my best "I'm intently listening look". I noticed Alex trying to hide a not-so-nice-smile. _(I swear she had, like, fifteen personalities! I bet she was thrilled I had to answer to so many people)_. Claire just watched me with an amused grin plastered on her face.

"If you break my house rules, you have to fix it. Then you get grounded and something you like taken away."

"You could take away my calls with Sam and Dean if that happens," I said hopefully. Claire burst out laughing.

"Nice try, kid. If you get in trouble, that'll be the first thing she makes you do," she said, looking at me as if I didn't have a brain in my head.

"Just follow the rules and you'll be fine," Alex said, surprising me with a shy smile _(Personality sixteen presented itself, and she seems pretty nice.)_. She had a pretty smile, but you never got to see it because her hair was always in her face. It reminded me how Sam said to tie my hair back when I did homework. _(Why was everything reminding me of them when I was trying to start something new?)_.

"Thank you, guys, for letting me stay here," I said as I began to clear the table.

"We'll see how it works out. Should be interesting," Jody said slowly, popping a piece of broccoli in her mouth.

Just then the phone rang. It was 7pm.

Claire arched her eyebrow at me, saying innocently, "Gee, I wonder who that could be?"

I stuck my tongue out at her playfully and went to answer the house phone.

SPNSPNSPN

"Hey honey, it's me," Sam said on the other end. "How's it going? You unpacked?"

"Yep, all done and we just had supper. Thank you for the extra chargers," I added a little shyly, as I curled up in the corner chair and threw the flowered afghan over my lap.

"Keep both of them in your backpack, that way you'll never have your phone die on you, got it?" _(I never even thought of that. It was a good idea. A Sam-idea, meant for my safety.)._ I felt myself begin to drift.

"Libs? You okay?" There was concern in his voice.

I snapped out of it, quickly saying "Yeah, I'm good, Sam. Just thinking about school and stuff." _(I knew that would throw him off my track! Ha!)_.

"You nervous? It's totally normal if you are. You haven't been to a real school in awhile."

"Yeah, I guess I am, a little," I said, lying. _(I was really worried. I knew there would be tests, and other kids, and teachers to navigate. I hated school.)_.

"Libby." One word. One word that said he saw right through me. _(Even long distance? Seriously?)_.

I huffed out. "Okay, okay. I'm more than a little nervous. What if I don't make any friends?" I mumbled something about being stupid.

"Did I seriously just hear you call yourself stupid again?" He sounded… annoyed.

"Saaam, I'm just nervous, that's all – God!" I heard the whine in my voice and I forgot to just _think_ the "God" that I added.

"Hey, first of all - you aren't stupid. Second, I can still give you strikes, so watch your attitude. Third, I love you," he said, and I could hear it in his voice. He really did. I was embarrassed about how I acted.

"Love you, too. Sorry, Sam – really. I'll feel better after I start tomorrow, I know it."

"Okay, hon, I'll talk to you tomorrow. We'll try to call around seven if we can _. (What did that mean? Were they already going hunting? What if they got hurt? What would happen to me?)_. Dean wants to say hi."

"Did you find the chocolate?" Dean asked in a hushed tone. It was kinda comical.

"Sam knows, so you don't have to whisper," I giggled back to him.

"Well – I hope ya hid it good, cause, well, women can smell that stuff from a mile away," he whispered again.

"DEAN – nobody can hear you on this end. You can talk normal," I laughed. _(It was nice. It was nice to talk to him and laugh_.).

"You all set for school tomorrow?" he asked in his usual gruff sounding voice.

"Yep – and Sammy can fill you in. I'm ready," I said, trying to convince myself. _(I WAS.)_.

"Okay then, talk to you tomorrow. Be GOOD, Libby," he added sternly.

"I will, I will – jeesh!"

"Come again?"

"I said I will be good, Dean." _(UGH. Point to Dean.)_

"That's what I thought. Love ya, kid."

"Love you, too," I said. And then they were gone.

SPNSPNSPN

I got up to help with the dishes, but Jody said I got a free pass on my first night. She peered into the living room and gave me a look, pointing at the chair I had been in. I forgot to put the phone on the charger and the afghan was in a wadded up pile on the cushion.

"Sorry, Jody! I got it," I said, crossing the room and returning everything to its place.

"Good deal," she smiled. "I want you to grab a shower and get your clothes out for tomorrow. Then bed by nine."

"Don't use all the hot water!" Claire yelled from down the hall.

"Yeah – Claire needs all the help she can get!" Alex added, laughing.

"Okay guys, I'll be quick!" Jody nodded in amusement.

I was ready for bed and really tired. Overtired, I think Dean called it. Jody had given me an alarm clock to set for 6am, and told me I was responsible for getting myself up and ready for school. She pointed to my wet towel on the floor and made a tapping motion to her temple with her index finger. I got the message. I took my towel and laid it flat over my desk chair to dry. _(I tried to remember if I did that at home… the bunker… but it was fuzzy. Maybe Sam had done that for me. I was starting to realize they both probably did a lot more for me than just save my ass all the time. I had treated them so ungratefully!)._

I had my favorite outfit ready, but I was tossing and turning. I decided to get up and go see if Claire was still awake. I opened her door quietly and she jumped in the chair at her desk.

"Dude! What did I say about KNOCKING, huh? Do you need me to show you how to knock?" she whisper-yelled at me.

I would have answered, but I was too busy staring at her bulletin board. It had a map with red pushpins on different areas, and a few newspaper clippings, along with a MISSING poster with the faces of a young couple in hiking gear on it. She had written "WENDIGO?" next to it.

She started slamming books closed and muttering to herself "Oh, no, no, nope – not gonna get me in the shit with those two Latin crazed brothers…that wasn't even the worst they threatened me with. Nope."

"What's a Whenn-deee-go?" I asked.

She glared at me. "Go to bed kid. NOW." _(Jeesh – touchy much?)_.

SPNSPNSPN

I got myself up after a lousy night's sleep – thinking of those MISSING posters, and Claire's bulletin board. Man, Sam and Dean must have really put the fear of God in her from her reaction.

I was too nervous to eat so I just grabbed a banana and climbed into the truck with Jody. Alex and Claire were already gone for the day. We pulled into the middle school parking lot and I grabbed my stuff. Jody reached out and held my wrist – "You ready for this?" she asked.

"I am. Let me get this straight, though. I'm your visiting niece from Kansas, right? My dad and uncle are out of town for an unknown amount of time and left you in charge of me?"

"Exactly," she said, taking a no-nonsense tone. "Just let me do all the talking."

 _(What have I gotten myself into? I was so scared! I had my phone, though, and I reached into my jean pocket and felt the lip gloss I "borrowed" from Claire's night stand last night. She had, like, a thousand; she wouldn't miss one, would she? I just wanted to be like her.)._


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hi All! Thanks for reading and reviewing! This chapter is brought to you by Hailstorm3. Hope you enjoy it!**_

I had admit, I was pretty impressed with the name of my new middle school which was Thomas A. Edison Middle School. I was in the midst of writing a report on him when I was kidnapped by the Djinn. I chose him because he shared the same birthday as me, February 11th, and he was an amazing inventor. "I know Principal Griffith well," Jody interrupted as I stared out the window in a daze.

"Ohhhh," I replied. "Is he nice?"

"Real nice man," she replied. "Well...let's get the show on the road." She opened her door and hopped out and I followed after her, trying to keep up with her long, quick strides. I was convinced that she walked faster than Sam. We headed into the building and it seemed that everyone knew Jody, but they referred to her as Sheriff Mills. She introduced me to everyone that crossed our paths but I knew there was no way I would remember all their names. I watched the kids nervously as we made our way through the crowded hallway. _(What if they didn't like me? What if they were mean to me? What if they made fun of my clothes?)_ I looked down at sparkly, pink leggings and unicorn t-shirt. _(Sparkles? And unicorns? What was I thinking? This was middle school. Maybe Claire would let me borrow some of her clothes for the remainder of the week. She always looked so cool.)_ I felt my hands become clammy and my heart began to beat heavily in my chest. Suddenly, I wanted Sam or Dean. They were always so good at reassuring me that everything would be all right. "You ok?" Jody asked as I felt her arm around my shoulders. We stopped in front of a door that read Principal Griffith.

 _(No, not really...)_ "Yeah...," I sighed. Jody knocked and moments later the door opened. Principal Griffith was an older man with gray, balding hair. He was tall and large boned which made him slightly intimidating. However, he was very welcoming and kind. Jody lied to him about my identity so well that I almost believed it myself. _(Why couldn't I be a skilled liar like that? I never got away with it.)_ Before I knew it, I was enrolled in the 6th grade. I was given a schedule of classes and instantly felt overwhelmed.

"I put you in the same classes as my granddaughter," Mr. Griffith explained. "I'll have her stay with you today and for the rest of the week until your comfortable on your own." He picked up his phone and typed in a number. "Hi Mrs. Young, could you please send Megan to my office?...Thank you." He hung up the phone and looked over at us. "She'll be right down. Resource Room will start next week. You'll attend 1 hour per day until we meet with the Special Education Department to see if those services are enough to meet your needs." _(Stupid, stupid me.)_ I was embarrassed that I needed Special Education services.

"Thank you," Jody replied. "I feel comfortable having her here. I know you will take great care of her." She glanced over at me and I looked back. She smiled reassuringly. "I have to get to work. You ok Libby?" She asked as she stood up from her chair.

"Yes," I replied, trying to sound confident. _(I could do this. I was used to starting over.)_ She smiled and ruffled the hair on top of my head.

"Alex will pick you up after school and walk you over to the station," she commented.

"Ok, see you later Aunt Jody," I replied. _(Wow...that sounded weird.)_ As Jody left, a girl walked in. She was tall _(Everyone was taller than me.)_ and slim with long, wavy blonde hair. She was wearing black, skinny jeans with high, brown boots and a red blouse. Her face was tastefully covered in make up, and her blue eyes looked so big and beautiful. I couldn't believe she was in 6th grade. She looked like a high schooler.

"Megan, this is Libby, this is her first day and I'd like you to keep her close," Principal Griffith explained.

"Sure Grandpa," she replied. Megan turned and smiled at me.

"Hi Libby," she said kindly.

"Hi," I replied awkwardly. I immediately felt self conscious. I hated that I was wearing little kid clothes. I felt so out of place. A bell echoed through the room.

"You two should get to class," announced Principal Griffith. I stood up and swung Claire's old, camoflaged backpack onto my back. At least I had one thing that was cool.

"We have Science first," Megan said as I followed her to the door. We stepped out into the hustle and bustle of the hallway. "So...where are you from?" she asked as we headed down the hallway. I felt so incredibly short as I walked beside her. I definitely wasn't blessed with "tall" genes.

"N...ummmmm...Kansas," I replied.

"Oh! Auntie Em...Auntie Em," she giggled. _(What the heck was she talking about?)_ I gave my best fake laugh, pretending I thought she was funny when I really didn't. We finally made it to class. I hated being the new kid. Everyone was always staring, checking you out, deciding whether or not they wanted to befriend you. I was typically the loner at every new school I started. Kristy was my only friend and I didn't even have her anymore. _(Would I ever have another best friend?)_ I wished I had Kristy with me now. I wondered what she was up to. Hopefully she was out of the hospital and doing well. It seemed like so long ago the last time I saw her. I gently tapped my pocket to make sure my cell phone was still there. I decided that maybe I could give her a call later now that I had my own cell phone.

I spent the rest of the morning following Megan around like a little lost puppy dog. I met 3 new teachers, each one of them embarrassing me by introducing me to the class. "You are welcome to sit with me and my friends at lunch," Megan mentioned to me after the lunch bell rang. "We'll be at the table closest to the bathrooms." She seemed nice and all, but there was something about her that I just didn't trust.

"Ok, thanks," I replied. "Do we have to go to the lunch room? I was thinking I could go play on the computers in the Library."

"You can do whatever you want, as long as you don't leave the building," she replied. "You just have to sign in with Ms. Shaw, she's the lunch monitor, and let her know where you'll be."

"Cool," I sighed. After I signed in with Mrs. Shaw, I headed to the Library. I was itching to do some research on wendigos since Claire refused to tell me anything about them. I wanted to know everything. I was instantly intrigued as soon as I started reading...

 ** _Wendigo is a Cree Indian word. It means "evil that devours." They're hundreds of years old. Each was once a man, sometimes an Indian or other times a frontiersman or a miner or hunter. During some harsh Winter, a person who finds themself starving, cut off from supplies or help - becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp. Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities - speed, strength, and immortality. If you eat enough of it, over years, you become this less-than-human thing. You're always hungry._**

"Woah! What's a wendigo?" questioned a voice from behind me. Startled, I quickly closed out of the page I was on, and turned to find a boy standing over my shoulder. He had longish, wavy brown hair and big, blue eyes. A few pimples covered his nose, along with freckles. He was wearing an old, faded, black Iron Maiden t-shirt and blue jeans that were ripped at the knees. _(Kinda cute...in a dorky way.)_

"Rude," I growled as I threw him a dirty look. I watched as his face turned red with embarrassment.

"Oh sorry," he replied guiltily. "I'm Curtis, you're in my Science class and well...I wasn't trying to be nosy. I was just passing by and that image on your screen really caught my attention. That was one freaky looking creature," he sighed.

"Ummmm...yeah," I agreed. "I like to write stories and I was just looking for ideas for creatures." I felt my face flush red. I was so awkward and a horrible liar.

"That's cool," he replied. "Maybe I could read one sometime." My face got even hotter and I'm sure redder, if that was even possible. I went to respond but nothing came out of my mouth. _(Awkward!)_

"Uhhh...yeah," I was finally able to stammer out. _(Please just go away! I can't stand the embarrassment anymore!)_

"See ya soon Kansas," he said with a smile and then continued on his way. _(Kansas? He already had a nickname for me?)_ It took me a few minutes to regain my thoughts. Boys had never paid attention to me. This was all new territory for me. I pulled the lip gloss from my pocket and rolled it across my parched lips. It smelled like strawberry and immediately made me hungry.

I took a few deep breaths and then continued with my research. If Claire was hunting a wendigo, I just had to be part of it. It was such a fascinating creature and there was no way Claire could destroy one on her own. The bell rang to signal the end of lunch. My stomach growled loudly as I turned off my computer. I peered around to make sure no one had heard. I pulled out the crumpled schedule from my pocket. _(Ugh! English next!)_ I wandered through the hallways in search of my next class. "Hey Kansas! Need some help?" a voice, Curtis' voice, called from behind me. I stopped and turned to find him jogging toward me.

"Hi," I greeted.

"Where ya headed?" he asked, stopping in front of me. He seemed so tall too.

"Mrs. Hahn's class," I replied. "Room 203."

"I'm headed there too," he replied. "Come on." I blushed and turned my body so that I was walking alongside him. "So...did you know that some people believe wendigos really do exist?" I stopped in my tracks, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach. _(What had I done? Why was he reading about wendigos?)_ He stopped and stared down at me. "I like to draw, and they looked like really cool things to draw."

"Oh," I replied, relieved. "That's cool...maybe I could see some of your drawings some time." He smiled in return, but it was quickly interrupted.

"Libby! There you are!" Megan's voice squealed in my ear from behind us. "Oh...and Curtis! I was looking for you at lunch." I watched as Curtis rolled his eyes and then spun around to face her. I was startled as she planted a kiss on his lips. _(Seriously?! 12 year olds kissed in the hallways at this school!)_ She latched her hand onto his hand tightly and then turned to face me. "I see you've met my Curtis poo," she commented with a giggle. _(Curtis poo? Really?)_ I held back my laughter.

"Yeah," I replied.

"I was just helping her find her class," Curtis added.

"Always a gentleman," Megan mentioned with a smile. The bell to clear the hallway echoed throughout the hall. Students rushed in every direction to get to their destinations. "We'd better hurry! Mrs. Hahn assigns extra homework to tardy students!" I had to jog in order to keep up with their fast pace in front of me. The rest of the day dragged by. I continued to follow not only Libby around, but Curtis too, since he was in all the same classes as us. Curtis didn't say another word to me, but then again, he never had a chance since Megan never shut her mouth. It was definitely awkward and I got the impression that Curtis wasn't thrilled with his relationship with Megan.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

I was surprised to see Jody's patrol car waiting outside school. I hurried over and climbed into the backseat behind Alex. "Hey Libby," Jody greeted. "How was school?"

"It was uneventful and long," I replied as I tossed my backpack onto the seat beside me. "What are doing here?"

"Its been a slow afternoon," Jody replied, "So I figured I would pick you girls up."

"Oh," I commented.

"Did you meet any new friends?" Alex asked.

"A few," I replied. Just then a call came in on Jody's walkie talkie.

"10-54 on Yankton Trail," announced a woman's voice.

"Oh dear," sighed Jody worriedly as she immediately put her car into drive. "I'll drop you two off at the house on the way."

"What's a 10-54?" I asked.

"A dead body," Alex blurted out. Jody threw her an annoyed look. "Sorry," Alex muttered.

"Jody, will you be ok?" I asked worriedly.

"Yes sweetie, there will be others there to help me, I won't be alone," she replied, looking back at me through her rearview mirror. My eyes met hers. "It may be a late night though, and I'd appreciate it if you girls stay put at the house and keep the doors locked. I'll let Claire know to come right home after work." I felt tears fill my eyes. I felt scared. Scared for Jody and scared for myself. Once again, I wished Sam and Dean were nearby.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Jody dropped us off at her house and was off. I pulled my phone from my pocket and headed into my bedroom. I scrolled through my contacts and found Sam's number. "Hey Libs," greeted Sam's voice from the other end.

"Hi," I mumbled.

"Everything ok?" he asked worriedly. "Did something happen at school?"

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Dean ask in the background.

"I don't know, that's what I'm trying to find out," Sam replied to Dean.

"School was fine," I replied. "It's just that Jody has to work late...a dead body was found." I felt tears fill my eyes again.

"Are you alone at the house?" Sam asked.

"No, Alex is here," I replied. "I'm just worried about her. What if something bad happens?"

"Libs, Jody is very good at her job, just like Dean and I," Sam replied reassuringly. "She'll be fine, but I think you and Alex should stay put and keep the doors locked."

"Yeah, that's what Jody said too," I replied.

"So do you wanna tell us about school?" Sam asked. "I'll put you on speaker so that Dean can hear too."

"There's not much to tell," I replied.

"Honey, are you ok?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm ok, I have to go though, I have a lot of homework to do." Every minute I spent talking to them made me miss them even more. "I'll talk to you both tomorrow."

"Ok Libs, but if you need anything, call us," Sam replied. "I love you honey."

"Love you too Sam."

"Wait...Let me put Dean on quick. He's driving."

"Hey kid, call if you need anything, love ya."

"Love you too Dean." As soon as I hung up the phone, I felt lonely. I wandered out of my bedroom and out into the living room. Alex was passed out on the couch with a bag of chips on her chest and the television blaring. I headed back toward my room when I was distracted by Claire's room next to mine. Without hesitation, I opened her door and closed it quietly behind me. I was instantly consumed with the information she had on wendigos. I began to read about the missing hikers and I noticed Claire's handwritten notes that they had gone missing about 100 miles from Sioux Falls and then another set of hikers were missing from an area about 50 miles from Sioux Falls. I couldn't help but wonder if the dead body that Jody was investigating had anything to do with the missing hikers. Suddenly, Claire's door flew open. Startled, I turned to find Claire giving me the look of death.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" she demanded.

"I...uh...I...was...ummm...just reading about wendigos," I stammered.

"No! Absolutely not! Get the hell out of here!" she screamed as she grabbed my arm tightly and yanked me toward her. "You don't EVER come in here again," she growled as she placed her face close to mine. "Or we will have a BIG problem."

"Ok," I mumbled. "I just wanna help."

"You CANNOT help," she added firmly.

"Come on Claire, what if the dead body Jody found has something to do with this?" I questioned nervously.

"Even if it does, you're going to stay out of it! And if you don't, I will rat you out to Sam and Dean!" she yelled as she shoved me out the door and then slammed the door closed in front of me. _(This living arrangement wasn't off to a good start.)_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** **Just wanted to say how thankful I am for every read and follow, every review. Libby is the creation of Hailstorm3. We don't own anything Supernatural. Hope you enjoy this chapter brought to you by HappyGoddess2003.**

Chapter 3:

I heard Claire's door lock behind me as I stood, stunned, in the hallway. I had to get back in there and convince her I could help! _(AND to not rat me out to Sam and Dean. OMG. I would be so dead. Beyond dead. I'd be grounded til I was forty and wouldn't be able to sit until I was forty five. She wouldn't do that to me. Not Claire.)_ I spun on my heel and pounded on the door, trying not to cry.

"Claire!" I pounded. "CLAIRE!" I pounded harder. I pressed my head against the door, willing her to open it. "I swear if you let me in I'll leave you alone if you just let me… let me explain," I huffed out. "Come on," I pleaded. _(She couldn't leave me, too.)_

I heard the lock turn and was jolted forward by how quickly her door opened.

I jumped in and slammed the door behind me, bracing my hands behind me to keep it shut as if she would kick me out before I even began. I turned and popped the lock. _(Okay, Libby – now breathe and talk. Do the Sam thing.)_

"I'd never rat you out," she said, obviously seeing the panic she infused in me with that one sentence. "I was just pissed you came in here without my permission." She pointed to her wall and all the lore at her desk on Wendigos, "and a little scared that everything you saw would burn a hole all the way back to the bunker and I'd be, uh… well, I'm sure they'd never do what they said they would do if I ever gave you hunter info again," she laughed a little nervously. I'd never really heard Claire sound nervous. She eyed me with an arched eyebrow. "They're just big dogs, barkin at the moon – right, kid? I mean, they wouldn't…"

I began nodding up and down with wide eyes, only imagining what Uncle Sam and Dad had said to her. "Oh, they WOULD, and they HAVE, and umm… they WILL – if they say they will," I finished. Claire just stared.

"Well fuck that, kid!" she yelped, holding her hand up for a high five. "Nobody orders me around and nobody tells me what I can do – especially those two! HA!" she finished.

Her magic was infectious. "Yeah – right! What happens in Claire's room STAYS in Claire's room! I slapped her hand hard and brought it back, wincing. "Owwww…" I said, and we both burst out laughing.

SPNSPNSPN

Two hours later, I heard the garage door open as I scooted across the hall to my room. I decided to return Claire's lip gloss just before I left her room and things were going good. _(I never wanted Claire mad at me again. Borrowing from her was wrong. Borrowing wasn't stealing. No, plus – she didn't even miss it. Maybe over the weekend she would help me with makeup and how to look older. She gets me.)_ I quickly turned down my bedspread, then jumped in the shower. I hadn't done one thing; not one page of homework, or even eaten – I was knee deep in learning from Claire. I wanted to know everything I could about Wendingo's, but Claire insisted I start with some basic hacking skills so I could help her with research. Then she told me that Uncle Sam had shown HER how to hack! _(I couldn't believe what a hypocrite he was! I was so mad at him. Why would he show her and not show me? He wouldn't even let me look at lore! Did he think I was stupid? That was it. He home-schooled me, so he knew I wasn't super smart, but I did fine with Claire. I already knew how to set up fake credit card accounts and find my way into a database through back door protocols. I even sounded smarter! I agreed with her – he could be such a square!)_

I padded into the kitchen and found the girls eating ice cream with Jody, a bowl set aside for me as well. "I can really have ice cream before bed?" I asked with a smile.

"Yep-pers," Jody answered, holding her arm out to me for a hug. I slid over the kitchen floor and grabbed her neck. "Living with girls is awesome," I said.

Claire snorted and Alex grinned. "You have NO idea, Libby," she said. "Sometimes we don't shave our legs for weeks."

"Ewww…" I said, scooping my treat into the bowl, "I don't even shave my legs at ALL!" _(Sam and Dean would never let me, plus I hardly had any hair anywhere. I was the most underdeveloped girl in middle school.)_ Ugh. School. I remembered Megan; her long blonde hair, makeup, cool clothes – I felt like such a baby!

"What's the matter kid?" Claire asked. I had stopped talking mid-scoop. Just spaced out. I started eating myself into brain freeze.

"Oh, nothing… just thinking I need to get to bed and ready for tomorrow. Need to be up by 6, right Jody?" I was eager to show her I was responsible and remembered.

"Right you are, honey," she replied. I have a big day myself, let's all get settled."

"… But - I wanted to know what happened with the dead body," I asked, earning dirty looks from both girls. _(I did though!)_

"That's not a talk we're gonna have, sweetie. I'll see you in the morning," she said, getting up and washing out her dish. She looked exhausted. Totally wiped out.

"I'm sorry, Jody," I said quickly, finishing off my ice cream. "It's okay, dearie, just tired," her voice carried back to me from down the hall.

I got up to head for bed myself and heard a throat clear loudly behind me. "Excuse you?" Claire said. I turned, no idea what she meant. She pointed to my dirty ice cream dish I'd left on the table. "Shit," I muttered, embarrassed. _(Another thing I probably never did for myself at the bunker?)_

SPNSPNSPN

I brushed my teeth and noticed I had texts when I went to charge my phone – four from Sam and two from Dean.

Sam: Hi, honey, just making sure you locked the door.

Sam: Hey, Libs… You okay? Miss ya.

Sam: Did you finish your homework? Call if you have a chance or need help.

Sam: Okay – You must be super busy with homework. Love you and talk to you tomorrow. Learn anything good today?

I quickly pounded out a reply to him, careful of my tone and "attitude." _(Ohhh… I was still so pissed!)_

Libs: Love you too, Uncle Sam. I learned so much today! I already feel smarter. Night.

The two from Dad were simple:

Dad: Hey Libby – love you and be good.

Dad: Hey kiddo, miss you lots and brush your teeth.

I wrote him a quick line:

Libby: Me too and I did. Love you Dean.

SPNSPNSPN

I threw my crap into the back of the truck and jumped in the front seat, bleary eyed. I had grabbed a banana and my schedule was somewhere lost in the bottom of my backpack. I will ill-prepared for my day, to say the least.

Jody looked even more tired than she did last night. She hit the drive through, grabbing a large coffee and all but threw me out at the front of the school.

"You gonna be okay today, honey?" she asked, eyes faraway and already looking through her phone. I reached back into the truck and kissed her cheek. "I'm fine, Jody. I'll see you at home tonite. Love you."

"Love you, too," she answered, pulling away before I even got the heavy truck door all the way shut. _(I'm such a runt!)_

I walked through the doors of Thomas A. and hit the girl's room. I was in my favorite pair of jeans – they weren't skinny jeans, but they fit me well and with my black shirt and sneakers, at least I matched. I had Claire's backpack, so I had something cool with me. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, then pulled a few strands down in the front so I didn't look like a fourth grader. My jewelry consisted of a silver necklace that Uncle Sam and Dean had given me for protection. They had told me to never ever take it off no matter what, and I didn't intend to. The charms that fell from it kept me safe. I didn't have the strawberry lip gloss but I had a plan to get some after school. I heard the first bell and dug out my schedule, determined to stay away from Megan and her clique _(which included the whole school PLUS Grandpa-Principal.)_ I didn't want any trouble, but, I was hoping to see more of Curtis.

It didn't take long before I did. I maneuvered myself through my early classes, then found my way to the library's computer section, setting up my station and began researching more unknown facts on Wendigos. I had already gone online and created a quick credit card with my name attached, meaning I could go shop alone with proper ID, of course everything would be billed to my benevolent parents, who only wanted me to have a credit card to buy some clothing and some personal products. I set the limit at $500 _(I didn't want to push my luck too far, but that's a lot of money to me!)_ Ignoring my conscience, I printed the confirmation and stuffed it inside my purse. I learned how Wendigos mimic the voices of the people they kill _(Eat – ugh)_ , which was an effective way to drag in further family members who were searching for them. They were so diabolical and merciless _. (Would the monsters ever end? No. No they would not.)_ Superhuman speed, strength, immune to nothing except fire. Exquisite hunters. Trappers. And they preferred "storing their food over long periods of time." I was captivated and terrified, and I wanted to hear from Sam and Dean, even though I was still mad at them. I decided when I went home to wear Dean's shirt and Sam's flannel. Just because I missed them so much. Tears began to threaten, so I pinched myself - _(Get a grip, Libby. For God's sake, you're at school!)_

"Boo," came the sound over my shoulder, but not enough to make me jump. I recognized it as Curtis immediately. I turned, happy to see Megan hadn't had the chance to dig her claws in him. _(Her French manicured claws.)_ He looked down at me and smiled, his brown mop-head and blue eyes focused on mine. "Hey, Kansas," I knew I'd find you here," he said, sliding the chair next to me over close. I smiled back, feeling heat on my cheeks.

"You look nice," he said. _(Really?)_

"So do you," I said back. _(So do you? Really Libs? Who says that to a guy?)_

"Thanks, I try," he retorted, flipping his head back so his longer curls fell across his forehead. I started giggling, then full-out laughing.

He gave me a mock-angered look. "What?" he said, curious.

"Did you just do a "hair flip"? I asked, using my fingers to make air quotes.

"Have you ever seen anyone do one better?" he replied, then we both started cracking up.

"So Kansas, about these Wend…" Curtis began.

"WHAT have we here – a little mini-rendezvous in the library between MY Curtis and his Kan-Kan? It was Megan. I froze in my seat, not wanting to look behind me. Curtis shot me a look of reassurance that reminded me of Uncle Sam. _(It'll be alright, Libs. No worries.)_

I let out a breath and squared my shoulders, Winchester-style, turning slightly to see her perfectly French braided hair. Dear Lord, she was in tan jodhpurs, full boots, white blouse with a small blue and tan scarf that made her eyes look even bluer than they already were. She looked like she was ready to race a horse! I don't know what came over me, but I accidentally let out a snort at the thought.

Her sharp eyes turned on me and pinned me to the chair. "Is that what this is, Kan-Kan? Sneaking around the library to hook up with MY boyfriend?"

Curtis stood for a second, but Megan told him to sit down. He rested his arm against the chair-back instead. _(Very cool, Curtis. I was liking him more and more.)_

"I've told you before, Megan, I'm not your boyfriend. I don't get why you keep telling people that," Curtis said, frustrated.

"Because I WANT you to be, Curtis-poo, that's why. And if you like little Kan-Kan's little c-a-n so much, then she should just be your booty call! That's what you should use her "can" for. I'll allow that."

 _(Did this bitch just take my cool new Curtis-nickname and turn it into something dirty? OMG – noooo…. This isn't happening. She'll tell everyone to start calling me Kan-Kan and that will quickly descent into "booty call" and then I'll be the social outcast at Thomas A! Social outcast again! She's too popular. I could never fight that wave, once it started.)_

Then the anger at what she said hit me, it about knocked me down. _(I expected the hurt and fear, not the anger. It's TOO SOON for anger, Libby! It's your second day! I couldn't mess up here, I couldn't. I was on probation with Uncle Sam and Dad, and if I messed up, they could yank me right back to the bunker.)._ I had to keep my cool. "Uncle Sam" it. Yes. Breathe. Nice. _(Uncle Sam apparently lived in a loop inside my head.)_

I stole a look at Curtis – he tilted his head slightly back at me. I kept breathing as Megan taunted me, calling me "booty call" and "shrimp boat" … I breathed as I rummaged through Claire's cool backpack for the water I stashed this morning. She came closer, aggravated that I wasn't speaking to her… just, opening my water bottle to take a sip, just like Uncle Sam would have had me do.

"Do you hear me Kan-Kan? Little booty girl?" she hissed at me. Curtis had moved the chair back to its proper place and was now standing with his arms across his chest, glaring at Megan and tapping his foot.

"Megan, for once in your life could you just shut up?" he said.

"Curtis! How…" she began, but I interrupted.

"It's okay, Curtis," I said, taking a sip of my water.

Megan smiled in victory, giving me a look that I scooped up and threw right back at her, all the while breathing and sipping.

"See Curtis, she LIKES it. Little Kan-Kan-Booty-Call LIKES to be called names!"

…And you know, I really thought I was gonna breathe and sip and "Uncle Sammy" my way right though that whole situation. Right up to the point where I turned and poured the whole bottle of water right over her French braided head.

SPNSPNSPN

Miss Anderson, the Librarian, appeared out of nowhere – pulling me toward the door and sending me straight to Grandpa-Principal's Office. Megan ran ahead of me, giving an Academy-Award Winning Performance… mascara running down her face and sliding on the floor from all the "water poured down her body." She called out to her friends about how she was "jumped" by "the new kid"… _(Huh? I'm, like, half her size. I could barely get the water bottle OVER her head!)_

Curtis followed behind, as we all made our way down the hall to "Grandpa's" office.

I didn't see the outstretched foot in front of me and I stumbled forward. I looked over and saw one of Megan's friends laughing and flipping me the bird.

"Bully!"

"Bitch"

I felt someone shove me from behind and whirled quickly with my hands up, ready this time. I saw Curtis shoving back some big guy in a football jersey. _(At least Curtis knew I wasn't this terrible person. I wasn't… I wasn't!)_

Then a thought brought a chill to my heart. Jody. Grandpa Principal would call Jody, then Jody would call Uncle Sam and Dad. And then my goose was cooked. _(Maybe they would give me a chance to explain. Maybe they would understand what it's like to be bullied. The runt. No. They would stand by their rules, and by what I promised. They didn't know how hard it was for girls. How mean they could be. No – they would never understand.)_

I tried not to cry as we took our seats, Megan with a towel for her hair.

SPNSPNSPN

Jody was unable to be reached – she was out of the service area, running leads on the dead body. I got so lucky. Claire came to pick me up as my school punishment was doled out to me. _(MY punishment. Apparently Megan had been put through enough "trauma" for the day and was being sent home early to "relax.")_

Curtis got nothing, because he was only a witness, but thankfully, his side of things made my punishment easier. He explained to Grandpa Principal that Megan was the one bullying me and egging me on. He DID give her a stern look at told her that NOTHING better be said outside of his office about the names I was called. I was grateful for that. I still ended up with early dismissal and incompletes for the rest of the day. Also, I had to do a 200 word essay on "Why We Should Not React In Anger." _(Ha! I could do that in an hour. Dad and Uncle Sam had given me way harder punishments to do in far less time.)_

So, finally – luck was on my side. Grateful for Curtis telling the truth, I quickly wrote him a note before Claire came to get me. It was short and sweet.

C,

Thank you for your help. My phone number is XXX-XXX-XXXX – don't give to anyone. I'd like to talk to you later about the W's. They're real so be safe and stay inside after dark.

L.

I folded it, then unfolded it and put a small "3" symbol next to the "L." I saw Claire pull up and shoved it in his pocket on my way out.

SPNSPNSPN

"Claire," I shouted, running down the steps. _(It was worth getting treated like crap to get to spend half the day with her!)_

"Girl, you are so lucky – get in, Sprout. Tell me everything," she said.

As I buckled up I remembered I wanted to stop at the store.

"Hey Claire – can we stop by Target on the way home? I have a little money and wanted to get some skinny jeans, _"and makeup"_ I added silently. She scrutinized me, then grinned.

"Hell yeah, kid. We can't have you in leggings the rest of your life."

We shopped and I asked her to go get the car while I checked out. I was thrilled to find my hack job was a huge success. Guarding my two bags, she helped me cook up a story for Jody in case she got wind of my trouble at school.

"We'll keep it real low-key. If she asks you will tell her you weren't feeling good and the school called me and I came and got you. Got it?" she advised.

"But – that's so simple," I said, disbelief in my voice.

"Oh, Sprout – the beauty of a good lie is in the simplicity of it. AND… were you not feeling good today at school? No. Did the school call me? Yes. Did I come get you? Yes. See? It's practically the truth! Believe it is – and it is!" she smiled wickedly.

"Oh-kayyy," I breathed. _(This was universes away from everything Uncle Sam and Dean had told me to do. This was direct disobedience. On the other hand, they did these very things on a daily basis and no one ever called THEM on it! Jerks!)_

I went over and hugged Claire tightly. "Thanks, Claire. For understanding. For being there for me. For everything," I said.

"Where ya off to?" she asked.

"Shower and naptime. Then I'm calling home."

"You ARE home, dummy."

Oh yeah… I was.

I spent extra time in the shower, using the fancy vanilla and brown sugar body wash and lotion I had bought. Then I put on Uncle Dean's tee followed by Uncle Sam's flannel. I set my outfit out for the next day – Friday! My new dark navy skinny jeans with a super cool pair of Sketchers, with a simple white button down and matching navy blue hooded zippered sweater. A white slouchy beanie completed my look and I have to say – it was ME!

I grabbed my phone and called Sam.

"Hey Libs, what's up hon?" he said on the first ring.

"Not much, just getting myself ready for bed and wanted to say I love you."

"Really? All finished with your homework already?" he asked.

I wasn't sure what to say. Then I remembered Claire's "simplicity" rule.

"Yep, all the homework I had for today is finished," I answered.

"That's my girl. Awesome. Anything else going on?"

I opened my new makeup carefully, setting it all out for the morning.

"Nope, nothing new here, Uncle Sam. _(This was a boldface lie. OMG.)_ "Ummm… Uncle Sam?"

"Still here honey."

"Will you always love me?"

Dead silence. He had to think it over. Then…

"…What's going on? Libs? Tell me."

"Nothing! I'm fine… I just miss you, ya know? And… You always say it a lot. Just making sure," I said, laughing.

"Oh Libs, I forget sometimes you're such a little girl still. Of course I love you always. Always and forever."

"Would you always love me even if I let you down?"

"That's when we all need extra love, don't we?"

I felt ashamed and my face was on fire.

"Yes, Uncle Sam. I love you too. Is Dad there?"

"Nope, honey, your dad is … ummm…"

"Bar."

"Yeah."

"Okay, tell him I love him too. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, baby. Sleep tight."

SPNSPNSPN

I didn't know when I said "talk to you tomorrow" it would be in person, at Jody's house, directly after school, with my face covered in makeup and me wearing skinny jeans a lot tighter than either one of them would have allowed.

How did I know for sure? I could tell by the looks on their faces because they were waiting at the front door for me. Hands on hips. _(Oh, Hail Mary full of grace…)_ What did they know? How? Where was Jody? I was busted – but for which thing? And how much? _(I won't rat out Claire – no matter what!)_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hi All! Thank you for reading our story! So glad you are enjoying it! This chapter is brought to you by Hailstorm3. We do not own anything Supernatural, just Libby.**_

 **VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

"Oh shit kid," Claire sighed from beside me. "Those sasquatches don't look happy. Want me to drive away? _"_ The thought made me laugh quietly to myself...Claire's crappy rust pile trying to outrun the Impala. I looked at her and I could tell she was thinking the same thing and we both smiled quickly at one another. "Remember, keep it short and sweet, and let them do the talking first." Although I appreciated Claire's advice, nothing would save me from the wrath of Sam and Dean. They always seemed to know everything and they definitely knew when I was lying.

"Yeah...well here goes nothing," I muttered as I pushed open the creaky, old door.

"Sorry kid, I have to get my ass back to work, but I'll be home later if you need me."

I nodded and climbed out and then heard the rumble of her engine behind me. I shoved my hands into my pockets and slowly made my way to where Sam and Dean were standing. They studied me carefully the closer I got. _(Ugh! I was still so angry with them for teaching Claire how to hack and not me.)_ It seemed like forever but I finally made my way to them. "Hi," I greeted quietly, looking up at them with the best puppy dog eyes I could give. _(Time to be an ass kisser.)_

"What the hell is all over your face?" Dean blurted out. I looked back at him, thinking he looked different. He was leaning up against the railing and his eyes were bloodshot. "You look like a hooker." _(Hooker? Hmph...that was rude.)_

"You look like crap yourself," I snapped back without thinking. I clasped my hand over my mouth, shocked that I had just mouthed back so rudely. Dean wobbled into an upright position. _(What the heck was wrong him?)_ I could tell he was about to fire back, but he wasn't as quick witted as he usually was. He stepped closer to me and then I smelled it...stale beer and garlic breath. _(Disgusting!)_ Dean was either drunk or hung over.

"Dean," Sam intervened quickly, gently backhanding his brother in the stomach.

"Go wash that shit off your face and meet us in the Living Room," Dean groaned, pointing his finger in my direction. He wobbled slightly and then steadied himself.

"And change into different pants," Sam ordered. "Those are not appropriate jeans." _(Really?! I couldn't even wear skinny jeans!)_ I crossed my arms angrily across my chest and stomped my way past them.

"And drop the attitude," boomed Dean's voice as I felt a sharp sting to my butt. _Ugh! I hated when he did that!)_

"Ow!" I protested as I spun around to face him. I was immediately engulfed by his terrible stench. I couldn't even take him seriously. "You really stink," I gasped, plugging my nose with my fingers. Dean looked toward Sam with annoyance.

"Yeah...she's right...you really do stink," Sam agreed.

"Well damn! Maybe if I wasn't rushed out of the house at the crack of dawn, I would have had time to get cleaned up!" he growled in response. I smiled quickly and then made a beeline for the bathroom. I grabbed a washcloth and smothered it with soap, quickly scrubbing the make up from my face. I thought my make up had looked good, but no, Dean had to call me a hooker. Once all the evidence was gone, I headed into my bedroom and pulled out a pair of black leggings. I peeled off my jeans and threw them onto the bed. _(Why did they have to come here and ruin everything?)_ I took my time changing and tried to get my story straight in my head. _(Maybe if I appeared confident, they wouldn't know I was lying.)_ I could hear the shower running in the bathroom next to me. I laughed quietly to myself thinking it was Dean because I told him he stunk.

I pulled out my phone from my backpack so I could send Claire a text.

Me - _Hey, is it ok if I tell them you bought the skinny jeans for me as a gift?_

Claire - _Sure kid, I got your back!_

Me - _T_ _hanks!_

I set my phone down on the dresser and headed out into the Living Room. I heard Dean gargling in the bathroom as I passed by and briefly smiled. I wondered how my strikes I racked up. _(make up - 1, skinny jeans - 2, fighting at school - 3. Yikes! That was 3! I was in for it.)_ The thought of a spanking made me sick to my stomach. I hated being held accountable. Sam was sitting on the couch flipping through a National Geographic magazine. "I'm back," I interrupted quietly. He looked up from his magazine and I really wanted to hug him and tell him how much I missed him.

"You look much better," he commented as he stood up from the couch. "I missed you Libs." He took a few steps toward me and extended his arms and I immediately went to him and wrapped my arms around him. I didn't say anything. I didn't want him to know that I thought about them a lot the last few days.

"I'm glad the clown makeup is gone," Dean commented from behind us. _(Ugh! Now it was clown make up?!)_ I released the hold I had on Sam and looked up at Dean, ready to fire back. "Come here kid," he said, extending his arms. I accepted his gesture and gave him a hug. He smelled a lot better. "It's been too quiet around the bunker," he commented. I knew that was his way of saying he missed me. Once we got our hellos out of the way, we each took a seat and there was an awkward silence for a few moments.

"Anything interesting happen at school yesterday?" Sam finally questioned, looking across the room at me as I bit my lower lip nervously. I contemplated lying, but damn, lying to them was so difficult. Dean was sitting next to him on the couch. They both looked so out of place on the tiny little couch.

"Ugh," I sighed. "Why can't you just come out and say you know what happened?" I questioned with frustration.

"Watch the attitude," Dean warned.

"Sorry," I mumbled. I paused and took a deep breath. "Yesterday was horrible." I felt my eyes fill with tears. I covered my face with my hands in an attempt to hide them. I felt the cushion beside me move and then an arm around my shoulders. I lowered my hands to find Sam.

"Tell us about it Libs," he ordered gently. Even though he was being kind, I knew it wasn't a request. They wanted answers from me and they wouldn't stop until they got them. _(How do I explain this without them knowing it was about a boy?)_ I racked my brain for the perfect explanation which wasn't _technically_ lying.

"This girl Megan, the principal's Granddaughter, has it in for me," I explained, looking down at my hands in my lap. "I met a new friend and I think she was jealous because it was her friend too. So...she started making fun of me and I tried to keep it together just like you would have Uncle Sam, I really did, but I ended up pouring a bottle of water on her head." I heard Dean burst out in laughter. I looked over at him with surprise.

"Dean, you're not helping," Sam snapped.

"Oh come on Sammy," Dean replied. "From the Principal's message, I thought Libby had given the girl a good smack down." _(I wish I had.)_ I was relieved though. It didn't sound like Dean was mad. "Kid, we would never be mad at you for defending yourself."

"Really?" I questioned, adjusting myself to an upright position.

"Really," Sam agreed from beside me. "I was picked on as a kid for being small and also for being smart. One day, at one of the many schools I was attending, I had to put a bully in his place and well, that's exactly what I did. He never bullied me again."

"You were bullied?" I questioned with surprise as I turned and made eye contact with him. I couldn't imagine anyone bullying Sam. He was so big and confident and strong.

"Yeah...so I have to agree with Dean on this one. You have every right to stick up for yourself as long as it's warranted and we will have your back."

"Thanks," I sighed with relief as I wrapped my arms around him.

"But the make up and the wardrobe are another issue," Dean stated sternly from across the room. I looked over at him. "Did you ask Jody's permission to wear make up?" _(Hmmmmm...how would Claire respond to this?)_

"It was just a little make up," I replied with a pout.

"Yeah...and you are 12," Sam added. I jumped up from the couch. I hated when they ganged up on me.

"No fair!" I protested angrily.

"Attitude," Dean warned.

"I don't care, you are both so unfair, always treating me like a little kid!" I snapped.

"I think you should go to your room," Sam ordered calmly.

"Happily," I huffed and then stormed off. I was about to slam the door behind me but figured that wasn't the best idea. I picked up my phone to text Claire.

Me - _They are so unfair!_

Claire _\- Sorry squirt, hang in there!_

There was a knock on my door and I quickly deleted every text message to and from Claire. "Come in," I mumbled. They both entered. I hated the smug looks on their faces as they stood with their arms crossed in front of my door. "So this is what's going to happen," Sam said, getting straight to the point. "You're grounded this weekend. We'll take your cell phone, plus there's no TV or going out of the house. You'll spend the weekend cleaning up around Jody's house, inside and out. The garage looked like it could use a little TLC, so you can start there first."I felt my face flush red, but this time it was because I was angry.

"No fair! What am I being grounded for?" I protested. "You said I could stick up for myself!"

"Well...you lied to me on the phone last night, you've been sneaking around wearing make up, wearing jeans that you know we wouldn't approve of, and...you've done nothing but talk back to us since we've been here," Sam replied firmly. I hated when he was right.

"But Claire bought me the jeans...I didn't want her to feel bad," I lied. I felt my face flush red.

"Then we'll also talk to Claire about your wardrobe," Dean commented. _(I hope Claire has my back!)_

"I don't want to clean," I replied with a pout as I crossed my arms. "I'm tired of cleaning."

"Well...you can do it with a sore behind or without a sore behind, that's your choice, but either way, it's getting done," Dean added sternly and I could tell he wasn't bluffing. "What's it going to be?"

"Without," I mumbled with defeat, careful not to give him anymore _attitude_. He extended his hand toward me.

"Phone," he ordered. I placed the phone in his hand, praying no one called or texted while it was in their possession.

"Oh, and we'll be sticking around this weekend, Jody needs our help with something," Sam mentioned. _(That was just wonderful...but wait...did that mean there WAS a wendigo in the area?)_ I couldn't wait to tell Claire. "And Libby...is there anything else you need to tell us?" I looked back at him, still angry with the punishment they just dished out, and shook my head no.

"Good, then you can get started on the garage," Dean ordered sternly.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

I was busy straightening the garage when Jody's truck rumbled into the driveway. I watched as she climbed out, still wearing her uniform. She looked worn out as she approached me with two pizza boxes stacked on her right hand. "Hi honey," she greeted.

"Hi," I replied as I pushed a cardboard box up against the wall.

"The garage has needed cleaning for a while now...it's nice to see the floor again," she mentioned approvingly. "It's time for a break...come have some pizza while it's hot."

"Finally," I sighed as I wiped sweat from my hairline. I followed her inside, giving Sam and Dean the cold shoulder as I passed them in the Living Room. They were both buried in their laptops so they barely noticed anyway.

"Pizza's here," Jody announced. I grabbed a stack of paper plates from the cabinet and set them on the table. I grabbed one for myself and then plopped a piece of cheese pizza on top of it.

"Looks like you need some rest," Sam commented to Jody as he made his way into the kitchen with Dean following close behind.

"I wish," Jody sighed. "I have to go back in tonight. I guess someone's been using the school computers to open fraudulent credit card accounts. I have to review the security footage for the Library from this week." Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach and dropped my pizza onto my plate. _(This was bad...so very bad.)_ "And...there's another missing hiker from a few counties over."

"Sounds like some punk kid was up to no good." _(Yup, I was that punk kid.) "_ And we'll investigate the missing hiker," Dean stated. "We have a feeling we know what we're dealing with here. Once Claire and Alex get home, we'll head over there." I sat, frozen, and stared down at my pizza. If they found out it was me, I was so dead. I couldn't wait for Claire to get home. I was desperate for her advice.

"Libby, eat your pizza," Sam interrupted as he took a seat next to me at the table.

"I'm not hungry." My stomach growled just as I said it. "I feel sick."

"Have a drink of water and then get back to work," he replied. _(work, work, work...I didn't deserve this.)_ Without saying a word, I carried my plate over to the garbage and tossed it in. I trudged back out to the garage and was relieved when Claire pulled into the driveway about a half hour later. I dropped the broom I was holding and ran over to her door.

"Claire...I need your help!" I cried as soon as she opened her door.

"Ok, ok, calm down kid," She pushed her door open the rest of the way and stepped out. "What's going on?" I looked around to make sure we were alone and then told her all about the mess I was in. I was surprised when a _"pissed off"_ expression appeared on her face. "What the hell were you thinking?" she demanded. "You used school computers to do your dirty work?" She began to pace nervously alongside her car.

"I didn't know," I mumbled worriedly.

"Libby, there's no way out of this...once Jody sees you on the security footage, you are a suspect." She stopped and kicked her front tire. "Dammit Libby, you had better not take me down with you. When they question you, you need to deny it. Do you understand?" _(More lying?)_ I sighed worriedly. I really hated lying to Sam and Dean. "Do you understand?" she reiterated.

"Yes," I replied quietly.

"Oh good, you're home." It was Jody's voice. We both looked guiltily toward the garage to see her approaching us. "I have to go back to work and the boys have a case to work on, so do you think you could keep an eye on Libby tonight?"

"Yeah," Claire replied.

"Good...it's going to be a late night," Jody replied. I felt so bad. Jody looked exhausted and now she was going back to work because of me. I felt tears fill my eyes. _(Hold it together Libby.)_

"We're headed out too," announced Dean's voice. I saw him coming from the corner of my eye. I turned to face him, and saw Sam looking down at my pink cell phone. _(oh no...)_ "Libby, you can call it quits for the night, but we want you to take a shower and then its bedtime."

"At 8 o'clock?" I whined. Dean gave me _the look_ and I immediately backed down. I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of everyone.

"Libby, who is Curtis?" Sam questioned, looking up from my cell phone. I felt all eyes on me. I bit my lower lip nervously and looked toward Claire for some sort of support.

"Isn't he the kid who needed to borrow your Math notes?" she questioned.

"Yeah...," I replied nervously, hoping they bought it.

"I'll tell him you'll see him on Monday," Sam replied. _(Phew! That was close!)_

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

After I took a shower, Claire showed me some news reports on a few more missing hikers. She plotted them all on a map to see if she could determine the location of the wendigo. "What are you going to do if you think you find where it lives?" I asked curiously.

"I'm going after it," she replied confidently. "I've been tracking this thing long before Sam and Dean came on board. This is my case, not theirs."

"Can I come with you?"

"Absolutely not," she replied firmly. "These things are dangerous. I can't risk it." I was tired of everyone thinking I was too young to do anything. I knew I was more than capable of helping her. One thing was for sure, when the time came, I wasn't going to let her go off into the woods on her own. I gave up for the time being and headed off to bed.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

I heard voices coming from the kitchen early the next morning. I made my way slowly and quietly in an attempt to hear what they were talking about. I could make out Jody's voice and Sam's voice the closer I got. "It took me all night to review the security tapes and well...I have some bad news Sam," Jody said. "And I'm really hoping it's nothing...probably just a coincidence."

"What's that?" Sam asked. I could hear his spoon clinking against his coffee cup.

"Libby was on each of the computers in question," Jody sighed. "You don't think she..."

"What are you doing?" boomed Dean's voice from behind me. I jumped and spun around to face him.

"I...I...I was just headed into the kitchen."

"Really? Because it looks like you are eavesdropping," his voice was hard and stern.

"No...Yes...Maybe," I stammered worriedly. Everything was falling apart. I was getting in so deep, I wasn't sure I'd ever find my way out. Dean grabbed my upper arm and led me into the kitchen. Both Jody and Sam looked up with surprise and I broke down into tears. How would I ever get out of this?

~To Be Continued


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**_ _ **Hi, everyone! We own nothing Supernatural. Hailstorm3 owns Libby, and I'm just the co-writer, Happygoddess2003, and I wrote this chapter. We love reviews! Thank you!**_

 **Chapter 5:**

"Look what I found listening in the hallway," Dean seethed. "Who knows how long she'd have stood there, listening, unless I'd come along." I turned and gave him my dirtiest look.

"Owww – Dean...Dad – let go! My arm! Owww!" I whined, trying to worm my way out of his grip _(and buy myself some time.)_ I stared at the floor, watching wet splotches drip onto the kitchen floor. He let my arm go – I rubbed it in the most dramatic way I thought I could get away with. _(He really didn't hurt me, he was just holding it tight.)_

"Libby, eyes up here." It was Sam. _(Ohhh, shit he called me Libby - no, no, no.)_ I just kept looking down, frozen on the spot now, a deer caught in the headlights of Dad-Dean, Sam, and Jody. I tried not to make any baby crying noises, but it was hard. I couldn't look at him. Them. They always know.

"Libby…" Sam's voice took on a warning tone that made me sob.

I heard a chair move and heard Dean next to me say "sit". I freaking sat, happy to have my rear end out of their line of fire.

"Strike One," Sam stated. _(No fair.! No fair using that. Jerk!)_ I looked up. I had to – I could barely see anything anyhow. He was at the head of the table and I was sitting on the side next to him, with Dad-Dean next to me. Jody sat across from he and I, looking very much the Sheriff. She was not looking at me with mom eyes right now, and that got me sobbing even harder. A box of tissue appeared out of nowhere and I grabbed it, wiping at my eyes and nose. A glass of water was placed in front of me as well.

Sam's eyes bore into me, and I immediately looked at Jody. _(I didn't even want to go near Dad-Dean's line of sight.)_

"Libs. Look at me, and I'm not asking you again." _(It was pointless not to. I would eventually have to look ALL of them in the eye.)_

I steeled myself, letting out a hiccup _(baby!)_ and looked at him. His eyes were dark brown now, a mixture of confusion, anger, and sadness. I could hear Dean drumming his fingers across the tabletop, a wordless signal of his anger, and it was slowly making my stomach hurt.

Still, Uncle Sam reached out and touched my wrist, very gently.

"What's gonna happen is you'll drink that water slowly, and we adults ( _Adults! Shove it in my face much?)_ will refill our coffee and then all of us are having a talk. Do you understand me?"

I nodded my head profusely, thanking the Gods for more time to figure out how to deny. Claire said to deny, but they already knew. Or would know soon.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," Uncle Sam said tensely.

"Umm… Yes, Uncle Sam I understand," I said, holding the tissue to my eyes. _(Disappointed. He looks pissed and disappointed. Jody looks like I kicked her. Dad-Dean – well, I didn't have to look at him to know how he felt. I'm such a screw up. No wonder they got rid of me – No, that was wrong – I wanted to leave them. I left THEM. I wanted to be a big shot, and look where it's gotten me.)_

"Then drink," he ordered.

They all got up at the same time and headed toward the coffee pot. _(I can't deny – if I deny, they will just push on their own. Even if Jody didn't see me on the video, THEY would find out.)_ I began to think quickly. They would want to know how I did it, how I knew to, who showed me … I couldn't let Claire get in trouble for this. She was my only friend in the house, and she trusted me to research and told me all about the Wendigo. No, I would have to think fast.

I took sips of my water, trying to plan something that might save me from strike two and what was beyond. I tensed as they all came back to the table, looking somber. I had finished my water, and Uncle Sam got up and filled the glass again.

"Libby, Jody's gonna ask you some questions, and so help me God you better answer them all truthfully, ya hear me?" Dean spoke.

The water had helped. I wasn't crying any more. _(For now!)_

"Yes, I will, Dean...Dad."

I chanced a look at him and his face was stone, and he had a vein that was throbbing at his temple. _(Maybe I should start calling it his Libby-Vein. Not funny.)_ I glanced at Uncle Sam – his hands were clasped in front of him, looking like mountains on the table. Not a dimple in sight.

Finally, Jody. She had a small note pad out in front of her and I felt like throwing up.

"Libby, were you the one using the school computers for the credit card accounts?" she questioned.

I tried to open my mouth but nothing would come out. I had to tell the truth no matter the consequences. I was out of time.

"Strike two," Dean said.

I pulled my water close and chugged half the glass. I didn't want her to find out from THEM, or from her own investigating. She was so tired. I took a breath.

"Yes, Jody. You don't have to go do extra work because of me. I did it," I told her. I knew tears were falling down my cheeks again, but my face felt numb.

Uncle Sam and Dad-Dean looked at me, demanding answers with their eyes.

Jody tapped her pen on the note pad.

"Oh, Libby why would you do something so careless?" she asked. "Why"? _(Because I'm stupid and careless, obviousy.)_

She hastily followed up with another question. "Did Claire have anything to do with this?" Her eyes were police eyes now, watching me very closely.

I could feel the panic start to rise up inside my chest and I skipped a breath. "No, no – Jody, no! Claire didn't have anything to do with it. It was my own idea."

"So you lied to us yesterday when you said Claire bought them for you as a gift?" Uncle Sam said quietly. "Do you know we told Claire the next time she interfered with us that she was getting her ass beat?"

 _(What? Claire was seventeen!)_ "Claire's too old for that," I sassed.

"She isn't, and neither are you. Not from us. We love Claire and would do whatever we had to in order to keep you both safe and aware of the danger you put yourselves in. So, you lied yesterday? Claire didn't get those for you?" he repeated.

"Ye...Yes..., I lied," I sobbed. "She drove me to the store on the day of my fight with Megan. I told her I had extra money from you both." _(I was crumbling now, imploding from the inside, intent on protecting Claire and making sure they didn't find out about Curtis.)_

I heard Dad-Dean mutter "Unbelievable – this is not happening."

Uncle Sam raised his arms up over his head and interlocked his hands, stretching toward the unseen moon. "Why, Lib? Why would you do this? This is a criminal act, do you understand me? Do you have any idea how serious this is? The position you've put Jody in?"

His voice was strong and impatient and I burst into a fresh round of tears. _(Great. Not helpful at all.)_

Dean was out of his chair and leaning against the refrigerator. _(Good. I needed space. He wasn't close enough to kill me.)_

"Libby!" I heard Sam's hand slap the table and I jumped, my heart racing. His hand was ginormous, and the sound it made, well, it was not a happy sound. I felt myself shrink back from it. _(That must have stung but he didn't look like it affected him at all. Scary.)_

He scoffed at my shrinking-Violet act.

"Really, Libs, knock it off. None of that bullshit with us." _(Caught playing the fear card. But I WAS afraid!)_ He pulled me to my feet in front of him, eye to eye because he was sitting. "Why. Did. You. Do. This? Start talking."

"Can…Can I please just sit back down?" I asked, voice shaking.

Dean spoke then. "No – I'm taking a seat at the other end of the table, and you can stand in front of us and tell us the truth. Every bit of it." _(Ugh- standing? That didn't sound good to me at all!)_

"Because I went to school and I was the only one in little kid clothes! Unicorns and… and sparkles! And Megan wore makeup and looked so pretty and is popular - I just… looked like a loser. I hated it! I hate being treated like a little kid!"

"Careful, Libs. Watch your smart mouth," Uncle Sam grit out. "Just talk."

Oh, I was nervous now. Borderline hysterical probably, but that just propelled me forward.

"I wanted to look like a REAL middle-schooler. Not some baby in baby clothes with sneakers on. I … I wanted to look pretty," I finished.

"You are pretty" they all said at the same time.

"No, I'm not!" I wailed. "You don't get it. You don't know how mean she can be! The whole school follows her! I'm not popular! The only chance I had was to try to fit in!"

"So what else are you willing to do to fit in, huh, kid?" Dean said tersely.

I turned, anger taking over my fear, glaring at him. "YOU called me a hooker! YOU called me a clown!" I yelled, pointing my finger at him, crying. "I felt good – everyone at school said I looked good, too! But you both had to go and ruin it for me! You were just hung over and mad!"

Oh, I was fucked beyond repair. Dad-Dean was livid.

"I said you LOOKED like a hooker. You came in with makeup on that you snuck past Jody, in jeans that were two sizes too small! What? You don't expect me to say something to my own kid about that – well, you got another thing comin'. Oh, and by the way, kid, what I drink and when I drink is none of your concern. I'm an adult and I will go out if I choose."

Uncle Sam tapped the table to get my attention. "And I was the one who said those jeans were inappropriate. In fact, go get me those jeans and all that makeup," he interjected. ( _Oh God, was that an eye twitch? It was a Libby-twitch._ )

I backed away from all of them. "NO! I won't! You can't have them – they're MINE! You bought all my clothes at Justice with a credit card that wasn't yours! How is this different? You're hypocrites! You do it all the time!" I was panting, leaning forward with my hands on my knees.

Dean gave me the rest of my water and told me to drink it. I grabbed it from him, splashing the water all over the floor and drinking what was left. He walked over, took the glass and refilled it, and gave me a wad of paper towels. He was silent.

I was careful to squat to wipe the floor, not wanting to give either of them an opportunity to swat me. _(I wasn't THAT stupid.)_

I hadn't noticed Uncle Sam had stood. "Libby, you will go get me those jeans and anything else you bought with that fake card and bring it to me right now. And I mean everything."

I looked at him defiantly, knowing I was already gonna get it.

"No," I said defiantly. _(Shut UP, Libby! Shut up and do what they say!)_

All it took was for Sam to take one step toward me and I was running down the hall to my room, closing the door behind me and looking for everything he wanted.

"And bring us that card and any other cards you have!" Uncle Dean yelled. _(They're just hypocritical control freaks. I hate them!)_ I began making a pile in the middle of my floor, but I took my time. I had no desire to go back into that kitchen.

 **IN THE KITCHEN:**

Sam and Dean just looked at each other, sitting back down. They both turned to Jody, searching her face for answers.

She got up and opened a bottle of wine and poured a small glass and got two beers out of the fridge.

"Girls are hard, guys," she said, letting a breath out with a loud sigh. "But, I'm not defending her in the least," she followed up quickly. I'm just thankful Claire wasn't involved this time."

"Trust me, so are we," Dean said. "Sam and I will deal with Little Miss Larceny ourselves. What about the school's inquiry? Will she face charges?"

Sam got up to get them all refills. God, they needed refills.

"Ya know, I'm sure I can smooth it all over at the school legally. She'll probably be banned from the computers, though. She HAS been through a lot, guys. I'm disappointed and angry with her, but having Claire and Alex here - I do understand how the whole popularity thing goes at school. It's a jungle," she said with a rueful smile. "That Megan is a little bitch, too," she added.

"But Libby knows better, Jody. She knows lying, stealing, outright disobedience is huge with us, plus that fresh mouth she has," Sam said with a wry smile. "We appreciate you doing what you can for her at the school, but she knows the deal in our family."

"Totally understand, guys – and not for nothin', I don't disagree. I agreed with you about Claire's consequences if she interfered again, right? As much as I hate it, I hate the idea more of them getting away with things that will hurt them in the long run. I can't protect them from everything, and next time she may do something I can't smooth over."

"Oh, there better not be a next time," Dean said, finishing his beer.

"Yeah," Sam added, "This time she needs to be sent a strong message. No more bullshit. She's our girl – we adore her – but this is the down side of being a parent. She's so fucking eager to grow up. We've been thinking that's one of the reasons she asked to try it out here."

"They all are at her age," Jody said, rinsing out her glass. "I'm going to bed now fellas. We'll sort the Wendigo situation out tomorrow." She gave them each hugs goodnight. "I'm assuming you'll want some time alone with her?" she asked.

"Definitely," Dean replied, rinsing his and Sam's bottles out. A couple hours in the morning should do it. We'll get a motel until we can track this thing down, too."

"You sure? You're welcome to the couches, always" she said, bringing them linens and towels.

"Thanks, Jody – we want to be near, but not falling all over Libs. Especially after tonight and tomorrow I'm sure she won't be happy with either of us," Sam said.

"Well, ya do the crime - ya do the time, right?" she quipped. "It's not our job to always keep them happy, right? Safe is more important. And teaching them to be decent people"

"Exactly," Dean said.

SPNSPNSPN

I picked the pile up from the floor _(did I really get this much stuff_?) and carried it down the hall and into the kitchen. Uncle Sam and Uncle Dean were sitting, still looking extremely tired and angry. I threw my stuff on the table and handed Dad-Dean the credit cards. Sam began to go through my stuff.

"Two? What? You needed a backup for Vegas?" he asked incredulously.

"No… I mean…Yeah… I mean yes, Dean."

"I'm sorry. I knew it was wrong..." I began.

"Stop talking," Uncle Sam said, cutting me off. "We'll ask the questions and you'll answer them, got it?" _(He was being so mean! I was already crying most of the night. He knew exactly how to make me feel worse! He's supposed to be the nice one!)_

I stomped my foot in frustration.

"Libby, you're really pushing it," he fumed, sending me a stern glare. I felt myself blushing and my stomach did a twist as he rifled through my pile.

"You know I asked you last night if there was anything else you needed to tell us, remember?" he said, setting my makeup aside in a pile and sorting through the clothes.

I did remember.

"Yes, Uncle Sam I remember. But… I was afraid!"

"If you really didn't think you did anything wrong, why would you be afraid to tell us? Wouldn't you be proud to show us how you could do what we can do? Instead, you lied straight to our faces."

 _(Shit.)_

"I'll tell you why, Uncle Sam," Dean said. _(He was talking like I wasn't even there! He was horrible!) "_ Because she knew what she did wasn't the same as we do. She knew, because we told her from the beginning how our lives are, and that we don't get paid to save people from monsters, but we still need things. She was being selfish and she was lying to us because she knew she would get into big trouble and she wanted to avoid it. Avoid US."

I broke down, sitting at the table with my arms over my head. They didn't even comfort me. There were no hugs or words of forgiveness. No shoulder rubs or hand holding. There was just the sound of me sobbing into the table. I was sorry. I wish I'd never done any of it. I sobbed until I gagged and I gagged until I dry heaved.

Then I was heaving into the sink, being held above it by Uncle Sam and Dean...Dad. They didn't speak, but one of them put a cold cloth on my forehead and behind my neck. I cried and cried until I couldn't cry or heave any more, and Dean brought me down to the floor and back to the table. Uncle Sam was behind me, searching the cupboard for something. He came back over and dropped a garbage bag next to my pile and gave me a water.

"It all goes in, and we'll be keeping it. And drink," was all he said.

I began to throw my stuff into the garbage bag and Dean handed me my water. I took a small sip, afraid I'd start heaving again. When it was full, I tied it tightly, shaking. _(Where was the love? Where was the comfort? I was just a little girl!)_

"You both hate me and I'm going to jail!" I wailed, teeth chattering.

Dead silence from them. More wailing from me. I was really shaking now, no control over my body. Even my knees were knocking up and down.

Dad-Dean grabbed the bag and deposited it in the living room by the door. _(Come on Libby, pull it together. Get a grip.)_ I couldn't stop my body from shivering.

I felt Uncle Sam's hand on the side of my head and looked up at him, holding my arms around myself.

"Oh, Libs," was all he said. He picked me up and I felt his arms all the way around me, pressing in a bit to help me from shaking. I wrapped my legs around his waist and put my head on his chest, trying to get out a clear breath. "I…I…" stammered out of me, but he shushed me. "Hush, now. Time for bed, time for sleep." He rocked me a little back and forth as he walked me down to my bedroom where Dean had pulled down my covers.

"Please..." I managed. "Please don't hate me. I'll go to jail, just don't hate me," I said while tears filled my eyes again.

"Shush. Don't be silly. We don't hate you and you're not going to jail. We're angry and disappointed and worried," Uncle Sam said.

"Don't you ever think we could hate you, kid. We'll deal with your punishments tomorrow," Dean said as he tucked me in on his side and kissed my cheek. _(PunishmentS?)_

"Does Jody hate me?"

Sam put both hands on my cheeks. "Nobody hates you, Libs. Now I mean it, time for sleep." He kissed me on my temple and turned to follow Dean.

"But, I'm hungry, Uncle Sam," I whined. _(Whining. For real, Libby?)_

"Then you should have eaten your pizza earlier – you'll survive" he said as he turned out the light and closed the door.

I knew I'd survive being hungry, but what about my punishmentS tomorrow? I didn't think I would sleep a wink, but I fell into an oddly silent slumber, feeling safe and protected knowing they were in the next room. Even though I had, probably, twenty strikes total.

SPNSPN

I opened my eyes to bright light flooding my room. Dean was pulling back my curtains as Uncle Sam came through my door with wet hair.

"You're awake, good," Sam said to me. "Take a shower and get dressed – meet us in the kitchen for breakfast in twenty minutes, Libby. Don't be late."

My legs felt like lead. My head pounded. I couldn't think. I sat up and blinked my eyes a few times, like a person in a coma trying to communicate. I couldn't find my voice. I was petrified and didn't want to face the music.

"Chop, chop, kid – let's go. You heard Uncle Sam!" Dad-Dean said behind me.

"I'm sorry!" I blurted out. "I'm sorry!"

"Libby, take your shower and come eat. We aren't talking right now," Uncle Sam said. "See you in the kitchen in twenty." _(See me in twenty? Since when do they speak to me like I'm in the army?)_

They disappeared down the hall and I peered out my open door into Claire's room. Empty. I didn't hear any of the girls, or Jody. I was alone, and that could only mean one thing – I was in for it. I threw my bed together and jumped in the shower, quickly dressing in my emoji sweats and a black long sleeve shirt. _(How could I have been so stupid? How could I have thought they wouldn't find out? Why did I always screw up everything that was going good for me?)_

I felt a lump in my throat as I entered the kitchen. They were sitting at both ends of the table in front of a pile of pancakes and bacon, drinking coffee. I slowly made my way to my place where the oj was already poured for me _(My heart hurt, oh it hurt, that they poured my juice. It also hurt that I knew my probable death was imminent.)_

"I'm sorry," I said again. I couldn't stop saying it.

"We know," Uncle Sam said. "The question is – are you sorry you got caught, or are you truly sorry?"

I looked down at my plate that Dean was filling with pancakes and bacon. "That's enough, I can't eat all that," I snapped. He raised his eyebrow at me and left me two pancakes and three pieces of bacon.

"And before you say you aren't hungry, let me tell you it's in your very best interest to finish what I put on your plate, Miss Attitude," he said. "And your juice."

"I don't have an attitude, Dean, I mean, Dad. You were just piling it on way too high. I'm sorry I snapped."

"Yeah, well, that seems to be your 'go-to' phrase right now. Eat up."

I looked to Uncle Sam, and I couldn't read his face. He was so good at that. He just pointed to my plate with his fork, sending me the message to eat it.

"I just want…"

"Less talking, more eating, Libby," Uncle Sam said.

"Okay, okay," I muttered, taking a bite of bacon. Bacon. I inhaled the plate. Once I started it was like I couldn't stop. I finished my juice and took my dishes to the sink and washed them. I turned back and they had disappeared into the living room. I grabbed their stuff and washed it, too, trying to make some brownie points.

This was bullshit. I was sick of dragging this out. I walked into the living room. It was time to stop being a baby.

"What's gonna happen to me?" I asked, trying to sound brave.

"What do you think should happen to you?" Uncle Sam asked calmly. _(Oh, shut up Dr. Phil!)_

"Can't you just tell me? I already know I'm in for it, so can we please just get this over with? And to answer your question, I'm sorry for both, Sa…Uncle Sam _(Phew!)_ – I'm sorry for being so stupid and selfish, and I'm sorry I got caught. That's the truth. I'm both."

"Okay, fair enough, Libs. I believe that. Now, let's get down to it."

I remembered we were alone. "Where are the girls and Jody? Are they coming home soon?"

"Jody took the girls out for a few hours to give us time together, kid. Now sit," Uncle Dean ordered _. (Hours? Oh dear Lord, please.)_

I sat on the floor in front of them.

"You're grounded. School to home. That's it. Homework, no TV. You will have your phone only to call us every night or to get in touch with Jody or the girls. Sam downloaded a monitoring device onto it, so we'll know if you decide to go all teenage girl crazy on us, you hear me? It's called being on a short leash until you're otherwise notified," Dad-Dean began. _(Monitored? Like a child safety monitoring program? What the hell. Spies! No fair!)_

I nodded my head, though, following with "Yes, I hear you." _(Anyhow, that still left me the landline to talk to Curtis. I was okay with this one, but I tried to look petulant.)_

"Good," he continued. "You will not be purchasing anything without Uncle Sam's or my approval. No gifts from Claire, no anything. You will do with what you have, and you will be grateful. If you want something, you will ask one of us, and if we think it's suitable we will get it for you – do you understand?"

"I understand, Dean." _(So far, so good. I figured as much.)_

"We're gonna be around for awhile, helping Jody with something, so you'll pack a bag and have it ready in case we want you to come stay with us at the motel for a few days." _(Huh? Staying? This had to be about the Wendigo. Ugh – the last thing I wanted was to be trapped in a motel with them at all!)_

I sucked it up and said "Okay, I'll have a bag packed later today." _(This wasn't as bad as I imagined.)_

Then Uncle Sam cleared his throat. I shifted my gaze over to him, and I didn't like his look one bit.

"You will go with us to school tomorrow and apologize in person and in front of us to both the Principal and the Head Librarian. You will volunteer your services shelving books as repayment for misusing their computers and to show your remorse over using such poor judgment."

"Whaaaat? Uncle Sam! Please – please don't make me go in person! Can I write a letter instead?"

"You have a problem with that?" he asked, raising his eyebrow and leaning forward. _(Not in a bargaining mood, I guess_.)

I swallowed my pride. "No… no, Uncle Sam I don't have a problem at all," I said quickly.

He leaned back. "Good."

"Okay, then, Libby," Dean said, standing up. _(Okay? Really – okay? Awesome!)_

Except… He was standing up and grabbing his car keys. He was leaving me alone with Uncle Sam. That could only mean one thing.

"Wait! Wait, Dad! I'm so, so, so sorry! Dean, please! Please don't leave me…"

"Libby, stop." It was Uncle Sam. Quiet. He was just sitting. He didn't even glare at me.

Dean didn't even look back – he just went out the door, saying "See you two in an hour. Love ya, kid."

"Noooooo…" I whimpered. _(It wasn't supposed to be Uncle Sam spanking me. He was the cuddler. The nice one. The carrier. The ginormous handed one.)_

SPNSPN

"Come on, Libs, let's get this over with. In your room, now," he said, his lips in a firm line.

"Uncleeee Sammmm, just wait, okay? Wait – I want to tell you something…"

"Lib. I said it's time to go to your room. If I have to come and get you and take you there, you'll get double. I've had enough of your lies. Enough of your evasive measures. I've had enough. Move your ass, Libs," he said in that scary quiet voice.

I didn't move. He didn't move.

"One."

"I learned my lesson I swear." _(Stop making excuses and move!)_

"Two."

I started crying because I knew I wasn't going on my own. I didn't want to walk to my own spanking in my own bedroom. I'd never been so afraid, but I also felt brave. I wouldn't give him what he wanted. _(Double. He said double and he doesn't lie to me.)_

"Three. Stubborn to the end, Libby. You need to let that go, and I'm gonna help you, Uncle Sam said patiently.

Then I was up over his shoulder before I knew he even moved. It always amazed me how fast, how sleek and stealth-like Uncle Sam was. I screeched and started kicking and pounding on his back. I would not go quietly! Claire would be proud of me! I was a warrior!

"LIBBY!" he shouted, pinning my legs to his chest with one hand. "Knock this shit off right now! What's gotten into you, huh?" He took his other hand and gave my rear a hard smack.

Suddenly I didn't feel like a warrior. "Oww… Uncle Sam… THAT HURT!" I squealed at him, trying to buck myself off his shoulder.

"Libby! So help me if you knock yourself down! Stop! I am done with your attitude!" He landed two more heavy swats lower.

Then we were in my room. He kicked the door shut with his foot while managing to keep me over him as I saw all this unfold upside down. Two more swats with his huge hand had me still. "Are you gonna behave or do I need to motivate you? DO I?" he said, giving me a little shake.

I'd finally done it. Pushed my Uncle Sam over the top. I was so ashamed. That made me cry more than the stinging in my butt.

"I'll behave – I'll behave Uncle Sam," I cried over his shoulder.

"Good. Now down you go…" and then he – slid – me down as he sat on my bed and I landed straight across his lap, somehow still facing the floor. I started flailing and felt his hand on my press on my lower back.

"Settle down. Settle, Libs," he said, his composure back again.

The first smack came down at exactly the same time he began to lecture me. His hand filled both my butt cheeks and stung like a swarm of bees.

"Don't you EVER lie to us again. You WILL not be a liar."

*SMACK*

"You will straighten up starting this minute with that fresh mouth of yours or you will find yourself right back here again with no warning, do you understand me?"

My legs were pinned under his knee and I teetered over and clung to the calf of his other leg, sobbing, already regretting my antics in the living room with him. "Yessss, yesss, I promise!" I cried.

*SMACK*

"Stealing? You DO NOT steal – ever again! You are NOT a thief! If you ever, EVER go online and take what is not yours, you will find yourself right back here – do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, yes un…understand! Stoooop….."

He laid three in a row on me. *SMACK* *SMACK* *SMACK*

"You will stop questioning our choices for you and you will apologize to Jody for all the trouble you've caused her."

"I will, I will, just please… OWWWWW*

*SMACK* *SMACK*

"You will NOT fight at school. You will call when we say call. You will stop mouthing off."

"I know, I know… I'm sorry," I sobbed into his leg, reaching my hand back to block his next swat.

"Get that hand out of my way. NOW!" he said as he began moving his swats up and down my whole rear end. "I've had it with you, Libby. You will listen to us or you will end up with a very sore ass, that's a promise to you. Am I getting through to you?"

"Yeeeessssss," I sobbed.

I jerked my hand back down. My rear was on fire, and I was the sorriest girl in Sioux Falls. He stopped for a moment, pausing to speak. I cried and cried into him, hoping he was done. I learned my lesson. I was wrong. I knew that now.

"This should be over. That was for eavesdropping, stealing, sneaking makeup and clothes, and your smart mouth. This is for not coming to me when I told you to. I love you, Libs, and some day your life may depend on coming to me when I call you."

He covered just below my rear with small smacks, making me yelp and twist.

"You will come to us when we call for you and you will answer the phone when we call you. No more bullshit, are we clear?"

I was nodding uncontrollably now, hoping he could see or feel me agreeing. He stopped.

"Words, Libby."

"Yes, Uncle Sam I swear I won't forget. I'm so sorry I was bad. Sss..oo..rrry" I stammered.

I felt him lift me up easily as held me sideways across his chest.

"Okay, okay Libs, shhhhhh… we're done, honey. It's alright. You're okay now," he murmured, swaying me back and forth carefully.

"Unc….Unc…. bad… sorry…wrong…miss you…love…" My words formed no cohesive sentence.

"Shhhh…shush… I know baby, I know. You're not bad, Libs, don't say that. Not true at all. We love you, and want you to be safe – you just needed a little reminder, hmmm?" he asked gently, running a hand back through my hair.

I nodded into his shoulder, realizing that I didn't feel guilty any more about stealing those clothes, or all the things I'd been doing.

"Honey, I just want to peek to make sure your butt is okay, ok? Just a peek," he said. I nodded and felt my emoji waistband expand and then tighten back.

"You're okay, baby. You'll be sore today for sure, though… Libs?" he asked.

I was nodding off – exhausted.

"Okay, babygirl, I'm gonna move you over to lay. I need to get some stuff to help you – you want me to?"

"Nooo, stay with me," I whimpered, tightening my grip.

"Shhhh, come on now, I'll just be a minute, then I'll stay. I promise."

He lifted me and laid me on my side, propping pillows under my head and behind my legs. He took a small one and put it between my knees. I'd stopped making noises, but I knew I was still crying. .

He disappeared and came back in a few minutes. He brought me water and two Advil, and a wet washcloth. He wiped my face and I snuggled into his lap.

"Try not to move around too much right now, Libs. You'll be better when you wake up I promise."

He ran his finger across my forehead, over and over into my hairline. I heard him finally sigh a very tired sigh. "Oh, Libby – don't make me ever have to do this again, baby. I love you."

He leaned back against my headboard and I put my arms around his waist. "Love you too, Uncle Sam. Don't go. Miss you so much," I whispered to him.

"No way, babydoll…You sleep now," he said, all the while lulling me to sleep running his fingers through my hair. "I'll be here when you wake up. We forgive you, honey. We love you and won't let anything happen to you - now rest." I fell asleep on my Uncle Sam, promising myself I would make things right. _(Again.)_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Hi Everyone! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy! This chapter is brought to you by Hailstorm3.**_

A week and a half had passed since my series of unfortunate events. Sam, Dean, and Jody were consumed with tracking down the wendigo which left little time for me. Little did they know, Claire and I were also getting really close, maybe even closer than them. We spent every evening reviewing Claire's map, as well as different sightings that she learned of through some facebook page that was used by hikers of The Black Hills. I really hoped Claire beat them to it. It was her case first and I knew how much it meant to her to be able to solve it. I survived my awkward apology to the Principal and he was thrilled with the idea of having me shelve books as my punishment. Free labor, who wouldn't? At first, I hated every minute of it, but as the week passed, it wasn't that bad. Curtis would stop in to see me on a regular basis and it became our "secret" spot. He started confiding in me about his horrible home life. His Dad walked out when he was five years old and never returned. And well, his Mother was an alcoholic and sometimes verbally abusive to Curtis and his little sister. He wanted to know more about me, but I was scared to open up to him about my past. As horrible as his was, mine was just horrific and I was scared he wouldn't believe me.

"Hey Kansas," greeted his voice from behind me. I was in the midst of putting a book back onto a shelf. I smiled as I spun around to face him. "I have a coupon for a free pizza from the Pizza Man. It's the best pizza around. We can walk there when you're done here."

"I can't," I replied disappointedly. "I'm still grounded."

"Dang, your Dad is a hard ass," he commented.

"You have no idea," I sighed. "Besides, he would never approve of me hanging out with a boy." He smiled slightly and grabbed my hand. I felt my cheeks get warm and a tingling feeling filled my stomach.

"Do you have to tell him?" he asked.

"Well...hmmmm...maybe I could get away with it," I wondered to myself. "I mean, he has been super busy with work. I've hardly even seen him in over a week." I started to think that I could actually get away with going out to dinner with Curtis. Sam and Dean would never know and I knew Claire would cover for me.

"So? Is it a date?" he questioned sweetly and then smiled. _(OMG! A date? Did he really just call it a date?)_ I tried hard to hold back my excitement. There was something about his smile that made it impossible for me to say no.

"Yeah...yeah...let's do this," I blushed. "I just need to make a phone call. Can I use your phone?"

"Sure thing Kansas," he said as he pulled his iPhone from his back pocket. I stepped away from him for a moment and called Claire's phone. She didn't answer, so I left her a message and asked her to cover for me if Sam and Dean happened to stop by the house. She was really good at coming up with believable excuses, a lot better than I was.

"I'll meet you out front in 10 minutes," I said as I handed his phone back to him.

 _ **VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**_

The pizza place was crowded when we arrived. I scoped the place out quickly to make sure there was no one that would recognize me. Satisfied, I relaxed and took a seat at a small table in the corner of the room with Curtis. I could hardly believe I was out on a date with him. "Have you heard about all the hikers that have gone missing?" Curtis asked. "I usually hike every weekend and haven't gone in several weeks."

"Yeah, actually, that's what my Dad and my Uncle have been working on," I replied as I looked up at him quickly and then back down at the menu in front of me.

"I heard they think it's a bear," Curtis commented. I laughed in response. "What? Do you know something else?" he asked curiously. I looked back up at him nervously.

"Ummm...well...I know it's definitely not a bear," I replied. He studied me carefully for a moment and I knew he wanted more information. But...could I trust him? I knew he trusted me enough to tell me about his Mom. _(Ah...what the hell?)_ "Do you remember that creature I was looking at on the computer? The wendigo?" His eyes immediately lit up and he nodded his head in response. "Well...that's what we're dealing with here." I immediately felt sick to my stomach. I waited for his response.

"I knew it was something else," he finally announced excitedly. "Wow, so wendigos really exist?"

"Yeah, my ummmm...my cousin Claire and I have been researching it since the attacks started," I replied. "We're going to kill it."

"Wow Kansas, you really are a bad ass," he replied with a smile. "But listen...you can't go into those woods without an experienced outdoorsman, so I suggest you bring me along."

"Oh...that's really nice of you Curtis, but Claire would never allow it _(She won't even allow me to go.)_ and these things are really dangerous," I replied worriedly. The last thing I wanted was to put him in danger too. "Plus, if my Dad or my Uncle ever found out what I've been up to and if I involved you too, they would kill me. You would never see me again. I would be grounded forever. And that's not an exaggeration."

"Well, look who we have here," announced the most annoying voice ever from beside our table. I looked up to find Megan. She was wearing a tight, pink t-shirt and tight jeans that accentuated her every curve. I was so envious of how great she looked. "So, I heard your Daddy punished you, oh wait, or is it Daddies?" she teased. I immediately felt my face turn red with embarrassment.

"Go away Megan," snapped Curtis.

"Your little girlfriend here was caught with fraudulent credit cards...I bet she didn't tell you that," Megan taunted. "And her Daddy gave her a spanking." I felt my face get even hotter, if that was even possible. Ugh! I hated her! I glanced over at Curtis for a moment and he gave me a sympathetic grin.

"I have to go," I sighed as I jumped up from the table.

"Awww...poor baby can't sit any longer?" Megan taunted some more. At that moment, I wished the wendigo would take her and eat her.

"Shut the f&%$ up!" I yelled angrily as I placed my hands on her shoulders and shoved her into the table behind her. Cups tumbled from the table and soda covered the floor.

"Hey, stop it!" yelled the two teenaged boys from behind her.

"You bitch!" Megan yelled. She came toward me, but ended up slipping on the soda and fell onto her butt with a splat. I couldn't help but laugh. I glanced back at Curtis and he was shaking his head with embarrassment. Frustrated and embarrassed, I ran from the restaurant.

 **VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

Tears filled my eyes as I hurried down the busy sidewalk. I held back the tears until I finally arrived at Jody's house and sure enough, my luck got even worse, the Impala was parked in the driveway. I paused and tried to compose myself.

"Hey kid," it was Claire's voice. I looked to find her sneaking toward me from the back of the house. "You ok?" she asked, arriving in front of me.

"Yes...I mean...no, but it doesn't matter," I sighed.

"Well...just so you know, I told the boys that you had to stay late to set up for the book fair this weekend and a friend was bringing you home. And don't worry, they bought it," she explained. I was impressed at how good she really was at making up lies. "And if you need to talk later, stop by my room." She winked and hurried back to where she came from. I took a deep breath, still trying to compose myself. After the incident with Megan, I was angry with Sam and Dean. How did she know what my punishment was? And why did they have to treat me like a little kid? But...it was time to set the attitude aside for now, I didn't want anymore trouble with them, so I headed into the house.

"Is that you Libby?" called Uncle Sam's voice from the kitchen.

"Yeah," I replied. "It's me."

"Come here, we want to talk to you," he called back _(Oh shit...did they know already?)_ I tossed my backpack on the couch and made my way into the kitchen. A sandwich sat in front of a vacant chair between Sam and Dean. "We thought you'd be hungry," Sam mentioned with a smile when he saw my eyes on the sandwich. _(Phew...he didn't seem angry.)_ I gave each of them a quick hug before sitting down. I nervously took a bite of my sandwich, waiting and wondering what this was all about.

"So, Sam and I have been talking," my Dad-Dean began. "And since your behavior has been good for over a week, we've decided that you're not grounded anymore." I immediately relaxed. This was good news. "BUT...the rules with your phone still apply and you are still not allowed to purchase anything unless we approve of it. Also, you still have two more weeks left at the Library." None of that mattered. There were ways around the phone restriction and well...I enjoyed working at the Library. It gave me more time with Curtis. _(Curtis? Oh no...Curtis! Was he mad at me? What had I done?)_

"Ok," I replied. I tried to focus on them, but the incident with Megan and Curtis kept clouding my attention.

"Libs, you ok?" Uncle Sam asked. I took a deep breath. I had questions and I wanted answers, but was this the time and the place? I looked up at Sam and then at Dean.

"Actually, no," I replied. "Why do you guys treat me like a little kid?" _(Yes, that sounded good. I said it without attitude.)_

"What are you getting at kid?" Dean asked.

"Well...aren't spankings for little kids?" I questioned as my face flushed red with embarrassment.

"Spankings are for disobedient children," Dean replied firmly. "And you messed up big time."

"I know...and I'm sorry, but...," I pleaded.

"No buts," Dean replied abruptly. "Sam and I will punish you as we see fit and the punishment will always fit the crime. We're not negotiating with you. Got it?"

"Yes," I replied disappointedly. Why was it that I always lost to them?

"Libs, we just want you to understand that there are consequences to your actions," Sam added. "And well...if Jody wasn't the Sheriff, the consequences could've been a lot more severe."

"Like jail time," Dean commented sternly.

"I think I would've preferred that," I mumbled. They both grinned in response.

"But anyway...," Sam mentioned. "We're getting really close to solving this case. We're headed out into the woods tomorrow and hopefully we can end this and if we do, we'll be leaving town soon after. We want you to think about what you want to do. Jody said you are still welcome in her home if you want to stay. And you know you are always welcome to come back to the bunker with us. The decision is yours, so think about it."

"Ok, I will," I replied. I couldn't wait to tell Claire about their plans to hunt the wendigo. I knew she would want to get a head start. They both hung out for another hour. Sam helped me with my Math and ELA homework while Dean fell asleep on the couch. I really did miss them. The decision to stay or go was going to be really hard.

 **VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

I wandered into Claire's room later that evening after Sam and Dean had left. I told her about their plan to go after the wendigo tomorrow. She jumped up frantically from her bed and grabbed a backpack from her closet. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm leaving tonight," she declared as she pulled a few guns from her closet.

"I thought they couldn't be shot?" I questioned as I watched her every move carefully.

"These are flares guns," she replied as she stuffed them into her backpack.

"Claire, please take me with you," I pleaded. "You shouldn't go alone."

"No way kid," she replied abruptly. A knock on the front door interrupted us. Claire rushed out of her room to see who it was. She pushed aside the curtain on the front door and I saw Curtis' face peering inside. "Looks like you have a visitor," she said as she turned and smiled at me. "He's cute." She tapped my shoulder and headed back to her bedroom. I pulled open the door for Curtis. _(Ugh! He had horrible timing!)  
_

"Hey Kansas," he greeted. "You hurried out before I had a chance to say good bye."

"Yeah, uh, sorry about that," I replied. "Listen Curtis, I'm sorry, but this isn't a very good time." I heard Claire's footsteps approaching us. She grabbed her car keys from the table in the hallway. "Claire, please, wait for me," I pleaded worriedly.

"See you later kid," she replied as she passed by us. "Oh and by the way, Jody said she'd be home about ten tonight, so make sure the boy is gone." She winked and pushed open the screen door.

"Damn it," I sighed.

"What's wrong?" Curtis asked.

"She's going after the wendigo...alone," I replied. "I'm worried about her. These things are super dangerous."

"Then we should go after her," Curtis suggested. "Do you know where she's headed?" I looked up at him with admiration. I really liked him before but now I liked him even more.

"Come on," I said as I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her room. I pointed to the map on her wall. "You see that red circle, that's the area she's pinpointed for the wendigo. That's where she's headed." He pulled out his phone and took a picture.

"I've been on a few of those trails, I know the trailhead that will bring us close," he stated confidently. "Come on, I have supplies at my house. We can take my Mom's car."

"What? You drive?" I questioned.

"Not legally," he replied with a wink. "But I know where my Mom's extra keys are and right now her car is parked at a bar in town. It will save her from driving home drunk. So we'll be helping her and Claire." I hesitated. If I said yes, we were both going to be in so much trouble. But if I said no, Claire's life would be in danger. "Come on Kansas, let's do this. I want to help, and besides, when will I ever get a chance to see a wendigo again?"

"Ok, ok, yes, let's do this," I replied. The next thirty minutes were a blur. We ran to Curtis' house and picked up some supplies and then headed into town for his Mom's car. Soon enough we were headed out of town with Curtis in the driver's seat.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:**_ _ **Hi, everyone! We own nothing Supernatural. Hailstorm3 owns Libby, and I'm just the co-writer, Happygoddess2003, and I wrote this chapter. We love reviews! Thank you!**_

By the time we reached the wooded area, it was after midnight. Curtis had impressed me with his driving and his calm demeanor _(But ewww his moms car reeked of Vodka_!) – he asked me intelligent questions and I impressed myself by how much I had learned about wendigos.

"So, basically, their super-fast, strong, and can only be killed with fire," Curtis repeated back to me as we pulled into a small open area off the trail.

I nodded. "Don't forget, too, they can mimic the voices of those they have, umm… fed on," I said. "That's important because they can sound human calling for help and use it to draw in even more victims."

"Kansas," he said, taking my hand while we sat and talked, "You are amazing." He leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss on the mouth that had my stomach in knots. _(Focus, Libby. It's only life and death!)_

I couldn't help but feel amazed that HE thought I was amazing! This was the first time someone like Curtis had ever shown an interest in me, and even though we were in the middle of this terrifying situation, it made me feel good about myself. He found things that he admired in me _. (Unlike Dad and Uncle Sam, who constantly found fault with every little thing I did! It was cool to feel appreciated and liked for who I am for a change.)_

We double checked our packs, then all of the sudden this whole thing became real. I hadn't seen Claire's car anywhere, or Baby either. I tried to text Uncle Sam and the others, but we were so far out, there was no service on either of our phones. I pushed down my worry about how much trouble I would be in after this was over. I couldn't let my mind wander. I knew this was serious business. We had our packs and flare guns from Curtis' garage - he also had these cool elastic bands we wore around our heads with lights attached, so we could keep our flashlights in our packs. He reached out for my hand and we began walking the winding trail down to the area Claire and I had marked in red on the map in her room. The moon was almost full, thankfully giving us light, but also casting creepy shadows from the trees. _(How did Dean-Dad and Uncle Sam do this? I was barely out of the car and already felt like peeing my pants!)_

We walked for a long time in a companionable silence.

"So, I wanted to ask you something…" Curtis began.

"Shhhh…," I held up my hand for us to stop. I heard movement tearing through the forest. "Did you hear that?"

"Awww, shit I did!" he replied excitedly _. (Figures the first boy interested in me would be a wanna-be hunter.)_ "Which way did it go?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, the woods echo so loudly," I said as we continued walking, the trail began to lead us down a slow but steady decline. "We're definitely moving downhill."

"I think we should stop and listen – I hear a voice, I think," Curtis said, holding out his arm to keep me from walking past him. My heart began to race and I felt a rush of adrenaline surge through me, sending a chill chasing down the back of my neck to the bottom of my spine. He was right – there was definitely a voice _(or voices.)_

I noticed to the left the trail opened in its descent, and to the right the moonlight shined on a second area, but I couldn't see far beyond it. Curtis pulled me quickly to the side of him and into the shadows as loud voices came closer to where we stood.

It was Dean-Dad and Uncle Sam, running while looking behind them. _(Oh my God, please get us out of this. Please don't let anything bad happen and PS please don't let them kill me later. Amen.)_

"It's my Dad and Uncle," I whispered into Curtis' ear.

"Is that a flame-thrower?" he asked, clearly in awe.

"Yep, their weapon of choice for killing a wendigo," I replied.

Oh, God, and then it was there - long and unnaturally stretched out, teeth bared and screeching in anger - clearly pissed off. It all but flew from an opening in the lower ground, chasing my family. I stepped forward instinctively, snapping a small tree branch loudly under my boot. The wendigo stopped and turned to my direction, and all hell broke loose.

Curtis grabbed me and cut across the opening in front of my Dad and Uncle, just as Claire appeared heading toward all of us.

"Libby? What the hell… RUN!" Uncle Sam shouted at me as Curtis pulled me across the opening. I could feel the heat from Dad's flare gun shoot behind me and heard the cry of the wendigo as Dad hit his mark, all of us converging together as though carefully choreographed. Curtis tried to pull me forward, but I wasn't going anywhere.

I looked behind me and Uncle Sam had me by the hood of my jacket, holding me in place as I watched Curtis slide headfirst into a hidden ravine. "Curtis! Noooo!" I cried and struggled – I couldn't see him. He had fallen God knows how far, trying to keep me safe. Uncle Sam yanked me roughly back from the edge and turned me around to face him, fear and anger flashing from his eyes. He shook me by the shoulders, and then just as quickly pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

"What the hell are you doing here, Libs? Who's that boy? Did you follow us here?" he asked, emotions flying across his face - I could barely recognize them as they came and went.

I just kept shouting Curtis' name over and over, into the ravine. There was no answer. I was screaming and crying and struggling against him.

Uncle Sam shook me, hard. I felt my back, teeth click together with a jolt. "Settle down, NOW!" he yelled, holding my shoulders firmly.

"LIBBY?" Dad yelled, sweat and grime pouring down his face. "What the hell is going on? Got that son of a bitch, it's dead - We'll sort this out later. You're in deep shit, kid," he glared as he pointed at me.

Another voice spoke loudly – Claire. I'd almost forgotten she was there. "Whaddaya mean – "it's" dead? Didn't you get the other one? Dean, there's two – mates. I lost the other I've been tracking all night. Shit!"

"Claire? Did the whole house come on some fucked up field trip? Unbelievable," he shouted. "TWO?" Dad took a second to think.

"Okay, guys, so one down, one to go… but first we got a kid down that ravine, probably seriously injured. What's his name again, Libs?"

"Curtis. His name's Curtis and he's down there because he was trying to protect me. It's all my fault." _(You ruin everything. Everyone leaves you. You deserve to be alone.)_ I was shaking and crying against Uncle Sam.

"Shhh… Lib's, listen," he said, looking down at me sternly. "We're going to get Curtis to the hospital and you girls home, and then your Dad and I will take care of the mate. That's the new plan. We stick to the plan. Does anyone have phone service?" he asked impatiently.

SPNSPNSPN

Somebody was screaming. _(Oh, God, it's me. I can't stop yelling his name.)_ Images of people from my life flash through my head like flip cards, faces of people who have been hurt or killed because of me.

I felt a hand clamp over my mouth and Dad hold his other arm protectively across the front of me.

"Stop it," he whisper-yelled. "Didn't you hear Claire say there's another wendigo out here somewhere?" I turned, unable to breathe at the thought of Curtis down there unprotected.

"Of all the stupid-ass ideas in all of creation, Libby…"

"I know," I stopped him. "It should be me down there, not Curtis. He was only trying to help me," I cried, tears leaving clean paths down my dirty face.

Dad pulled me close and held onto me. "Don't ever say that. If anything happened to you I'd go crazy." _(Wow. Dad hardly ever really said stuff like that to me. It helped, a little. I wish he said more things like that, things that made me feel less like a loser. Less like me.)_ I hugged him back and decided I needed to help out. He looked exhausted.

"Dad, I'm so sorry."

"Not a conversation for now. Later," he said, all business. His eyes scanned the area while guarding me closely.

I looked around and didn't see Uncle Sam or Claire any more.

"Where's Uncle Sam? Claire?" I asked.

"Went back to get rescue supplies for the boy. No phone service out her – even if there was there would be no way to explain this to the authorities. As it is, we're lucky we have Jody to cover all the mistakes on this trip."

 _(MY mistakes. MY screw ups. Why can't I get anything right? I hate me.)_

As if summoned, they both came jogging through the clearing carrying rope, a flood light, and a med kit. Uncle Sam had flares, too. Claire's eyes were wild and alert; I could see the moon reflecting in her blue eyes the closer she came to me.

"Can't manage to keep outta trouble, huh, kid?" she said sarcastically. "Let's go get your boyfriend."

"BOYFRIEND?" Dad and Uncle Sam said together.

I wanted the earth then to just swallow me whole, now for a totally different reason. I couldn't think.

"Cu..Curtis. Please, can we just find him?" I said, ignoring the whole "boyfriend" thing totally.

Uncle Sam took me by the arm and led me closer to the edge of the ravine. He turned on the huge square flood light and showed me how to use it and where to sit.

"Your job's to keep the light shining ahead of me, both down there and back. Got it? Do not move from that spot, Libs," he said, giving me an order I was not about to disobey.

"Got it."

"We have to move fast, there's another wendigo out here and he's a sitting duck right now."

My stomach did a flip with fear. I just wanted him back, safe, calling me Kansas and winking at me.

I shined the light down the area where he fell. There were broken branches and sliding marks where he tumbled that I followed with my eyes as well. Dad held one end of the rope and Uncle Sam the other. He began to slowly creep over the side of the ravine.

"I'm coming with," Claire said loudly.

Dad looked at her with hard eyes. "The hell you are," he said harshly.

"Listen, gramps – he could need splinted, have a head injury – who knows? I'm going down there with Sam," she said with finality. _(Holy shit she was my hero. What an attitude. Standing up to Dad with her hair all wild and making a great argument. There were no tears in her eyes, she didn't look away. She held firm.)_

Dean looked back at her with a glare, mulling over being called "gramps" and also the logic of her words. He gave his head a small angry shake. "Get your asses down there and back up here with that kid. We got another monster to kill and being the old geezer I am, well… just move it," Dad said with a sarcastic huff.

Uncle Sam and Claire tied off securely; they began their slow descent toward Curtis. I stood by Dad with tears streaking my face, full of sickness and embarrassment. "Keep your ears open, Libby, and watch for movement. Come on now, back to back," he said, ignoring my tears and setting us up strategically to view the area for the second wendigo. Every now and again my eyes would follow the rope toward the cliff, hoping to see Uncle Sam with Curtis and Claire. Time crawled, and then it just felt like it ceased to move at all.

 **WITH CURTIS**

He felt them before he heard them. He was floating in peaceful darkness, unconscious and oblivious to the pain coursing through his body. Blissfully floating in the dark, until…

… He felt a large hand lift his eyelid and flash a light into it. He felt it burn and reached up to bat the invasion away.

"Hey, no… no, buddy, let me check your pupils. I'm not trying to hurt you, I promise. I'm Lib's Uncle Sam."

"Stop. Burns," he moaned as Sam checked the other eye.

"Okay, okay, shhh… you're gonna be fine."

He was starting to see more light now and saw the girl from Kansas' house – Claire. She took his hand and asked him what he remembered.

"Falling. I just remember… Oh, shit, Libby! Where is she? Is she safe? I have to..." he began, trying to move and immediately feet a strong arm press him back down.

"Don't move, Curtis. Not 'til we check you out and say we're moving you, understand? Libby's fine. She's waiting up that hill for you, ok?"

His voice was very calm and reassuring. Curtis believed him. After dealing with as many men as his mom brought home, he got very good, very quickly, at sizing people up.

Claire spoke again. "So, it's good you remember falling. Tell us what hurts, but don't try to move around, let Sam check you over."

"Oh…Okay," Curtis replied with a whisper.

Sam was impressed with Curtis' demeanor. He wasn't freaking out or wailing like some kids he'd come in contact with who were hurt. He understood kids, and knew how to talk them through pain. This kid seemed to be considering his body before answering.

"The back of my head. Feels like there's a lightning bolt shooting through it… My right leg, above the knee on the side by my thigh, too. I think my left wrist is broke – it's numb. And I'm so cold, you guys. Please, can we go now?"

Sam took a breath, dreading what was coming next, but knowing he had to stabilize him and check for any other injuries.

"Ok, good, Curtis. Now listen to me, okay? I need to check you over in case you missed anything, then we'll get you outta here. Claire's gonna cover you up as I go through and check you, ya with me?"

He saw the boy flinch at the sound of being checked. "Please don't hurt me," he said very softly.

"I promise I won't do anything deliberate. You just let me know where it hurts… But don't scream out or make a lot of noise… We need to be as quiet as possible for now." He turned to Claire and told her to signal with the flashlight that they had him and would coming up soon. Claire quickly sent the signal, opened the med kit, and waited for Sam.

Sam was speaking to the boy reassuringly as he started at his head. It didn't take long for Curtis' eyes to fill and overflow with tears at Sam's prodding. "Sorry," Curtis mumbled, embarrassed.

"You're doing a great job, buddy. It's okay to cry, you took a really bad fall. Shhhh… almost done." He went into "movement mode" then, preparing his body to be moved with as little pain as possible. "Claire, he has a pretty deep gash on the back of head – can you wrap it? Curtis, I want you to take these for pain, you'll need 'em because I'm carrying you back up the ravine. You could have a break or fracture in your femur, and your wrist is seriously messed up. It doesn't feel like you have any internal bleeding, so that's good. I'm gonna splint both of those breaks to keep them from any further damage. Let's give the pain pills a few minutes to start working. Tell me when you start to feel a little tingly and light." He leaned forward and brushed Curtis' hair back off his bruised face, trying to give him some kind of comfort. He could see the kids eyes start to glaze over.

"Okay, dude, waddaya say we get you to the hospital" he said as he began to tape the wrist and stabilize his leg. Curtis followed all of Sam's directions as his eyes fluttered closed. He kept quiet, except for an occasional moan or sharp intake of breath. Sam wrapped two blankets around him and gave his arm a soft tap.

"Claire's already on her way so she can help pull us up, but don't worry, I got you. It's just an extra precaution. You ready for this? I'll try not to jostle you too much," he said with a frustrated smile.

"Yeah, Sam, I'm ready to see Kansas. Lucky for me I've been thrown around a lot by my mom, and her "man-friends". I got a baby sister to protect. I'm pretty tough - I'll be okay."

Sam frowned at this new piece of information. He agreed with Curtis' self-assessment. He was a tough kid, and from what he could see, a good kid. He reached down and scooped him up quickly, hearing a sob from him and pulled him close. He gave a low whistle, the signal to start moving them back up the hill.

SPNSPNSPN

Just when I thought I had reached my limit of fear and panic, Claire appeared and I heard Uncle Sam whistle. They were coming.

I rapid-shot questions to Claire before she could even answer them.

"Is Curtis okay? How bad is it? Is he awake? Is he upset?"

Claire grabbed a piece of the rope and began to help Dad pull them up.

"He's okay, but I wouldn't call him ready for the Olympics yet, either. How 'bout you grab some rope and help out?" she panted.

"Oh, right, sorry," I said, embarrassed, taking hold and doing my best to help pull them up the ravine. Finally, I could see the top of Uncle Sam's head and then he was there, holding Curtis very tightly. Curtis was wrapped in blankets, but I could see he was bloodied and bruised, with scratches and cuts all over him. Uncle Sam knelt and laid him on the ground, catching his breath.

I ran to where they were and looked into Curtis' eyes. He held up his hand for me to take and I carefully held it as my own eyes filled with tears. He furrowed his brows in response.

"Hey, Kansas – it's alright. I'll be fine, and I got to meet your Uncle Sam. He's a badass," he said with a weak smile. Uncle Sam grinned.

Dad came over, checking on him, too, then moving over and talking to Uncle Sam in a low voice. He turned back to us.

"Okay – here's the plan. There's a second wendigo out here and I'm thinkin' by now it's pretty hungry. Libby, you'll go with Claire to get Curtis to the hospital, and Sam and I will stay behind and finish off the scary surprise behind door number two…"

"WHAT?" Claire hissed. "This is MY hunt, MY research, MY tracking – you wouldn't even know there were two if it weren't for me! NO! I'll take them back to my car to wait for us, and then meet you guys back here to finish this." _(Her eyes were on fire with fury and her hands opened and closed angrily – I didn't blame her!)_

"No, Claire," Uncle Sam said. "Curtis needs medical attention right now, and you're taking him. We can argue about this later, but right now you're heading with Curtis and Libs to get a move on. We all need to move," he said firmly, leaving no room for discussion.

Claire gave me a dirty look. "Thanks, kid for ruining my first big wendigo hunt, AND getting your boyfriend hurt in the process!" She shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jeans and gave me the look from hell _. (Shit, back in the dog house with Claire. Why can't things just go right for me with people?)_

Uncle Sam had lifted Curtis again and I turned to hug Dad, tears of regret and fear in my eyes.

Dad held me tight against him. "Libby, I love you. We'll sort all this out after this hunt is over. You go with Claire and get Curtis the help he needs. He seems like a pretty tough kid. You can use your phone when it gets in range to call his mother – she must be worried sick."

I held dad, tighter sobbing into him. "Curtis' mother is a drunk and she doesn't even care where he is! He takes care of his little sister, too! I'm scared something bad will happen to them – Dad, please."

He brushed my icky hair back from my dirty face and shushed me. "I promise to talk to Uncle Sam and Jody about it. But first we have to stick to our plan, okay?" he said with a tired smile. It never reached his eyes.

"Yes, Dad – sticking to the plan." He kissed me and gave me one more hug before I started running to catch up with Uncle Sam and Claire – they were more than half way across the clearing!

"Hey, Uncle Sam wait up," I yelled to him. He was almost to the trail that led to Claire's car. He turned around, but he didn't look at me. He looked behind me - his eyes went wide with surprise and then I saw… fear? Anger?

"DEAN!" he roared, "Behind you! LOOK…"

I turned to the shrieking wail of the second wendigo, just in time to see it throw my dad to the ground and begin dragging him toward the hole down the hill in the clearing.

"Noooo…DAD…. Uncle Sam it has Dad!" I screamed to him. He was running toward me with Claire on his heels, Curtis bundled safely for now on the ground near the trail.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hi All! This chapter is brought to you by Hailstorm. I'm sorry it's taken so long and thank you for being patient. It's been a rough month and I stopped doing a lot of things that I love and that make me happy, but today is a new month and hopefully a better one! Thank you for reading and we appreciate all your thoughtful reviews. They make this worthwhile! :-)

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"Dad! Dean!" I screamed as loud as I could. I took off running as fast as I could in the direction that the monster dragged him. "No!" I cried as tears streamed down my cheeks. I paused for a moment. "Take me instead! Bring my Dad back!" I was screaming so loud that my throat and head ached. I got ready to run again when I felt a strong, calloused hand latch onto my upper arm. I thrashed about trying to free myself, catching a glimpse of Sam and Claire at the same time. "Let me go!" I demanded. "I don't deserve to be here right now! It should've taken me!"

"Libby STOP!" Sam demanded firmly. He spun me so I crashed against his chest and then I felt his arms around me tightly. I rested my head against his chest and sobbed. "Libby, I need you to do exactly what I tell you right now," he said as he rubbed the back of my head. "Can you do that?" he asked as he stepped back and looked down at me. I looked up at him. He looked tired and worried, really worried. "This is important Libs, I need to go after Dean and I need to trust that you will stay put. I'll take you and Curtis back to the car. Hopefully one of us will have cell reception and we'll call Jody to come and get you. Ok?" I was still sobbing but nodded my head in agreement. "Good girl," he responded as he took a hold of my hand and quickly led me back down the trail. We reached Curtis and Sam released my hand so that he and Claire could get him into the Impala. Once we were safely inside, everyone quickly checked their cell phones. Claire was the only one with minimal reception so she sent a text to Jody with the coordinates of where we were located. "Keep the doors locked and don't open them for anyone but Jody," Sam affirmed once we were safely inside. He handed me a flare gun. "Here, just in case. Do you know how to use it?"

"Yeah," I replied, my voice hoarse and my hands shaking as I took it from him. He leaned forward and gently kissed my forward.

"Don't worry, we'll find Dean," he said reassuringly. His words caused more tears to fall from my eyes. "And we'll be back soon. I promise." I glanced over his shoulder at Claire. She too nodded reassuringly. Before I knew it, they disappeared into woods. I turned in my seat to find Curtis propped up against the backseat and the door with his eyes closed. I grabbed the old, plaid blanket that I had tucked between the back seat and the front seat and gently laid it on him. He moaned slightly and opened his eyes.

"Hey Kansas," he smiled slightly.

"Hey," I replied.

"What are all the tears for?" he asked.

"I'm worried about my Dad," I replied. "And you, look at you...you're all messed up because of me." I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my shirt. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm all messed up because I wanted to come with you and see a wendigo," he replied. "It was my choice, not yours...sheesh Kansas, you're really hard on yourself. We're just kids. Kids make stupid decisions. It happens." He moaned in pain as he tried to adjust his position. I frowned at his discomfort. "And I'll live...and so will your Dad. They're big, bad ass dudes, I'm sure they can handle the wendigo." I really hoped so. I didn't know what I would do without them. The thought made me sick to my stomach. "Come here," he mentioned as he tried to gesture to me to move closer to him. I scooted across the seat so that I was sitting beside him. "It'll be ok," he mumbled and then dozed off with his head on my shoulder. I sat frozen while he slept. I didn't want to move and make him uncomfortable or wake him up. Thunder rolled in the distance and minutes later, droplets of rain appeared on the windshield. The intensity increased until is was a complete downpour. My stomach was in knots. The rain would make it even harder for them to track the wendigo and to save Dean.

About a half hour later, the rain had stopped and I heard a car pull up behind the Impala. _(Please let it be Jody.)_ "Curtis," I whispered. He stirred. "Wake up, someone's here." He finally lifted his head off of me and when I moved to look out the back window, Jody appeared at the window across from us dressed in her sheriff's uniform. I scooted over to the door and opened it for her. "Jody," I sighed as tears began to fall from my eyes again. I hopped out and wrapped my arms around her tightly. "It got Dean," I sobbed, still clutching her tightly. "And then it rained and...and...what if they can't find him?"

"Sam and Dean know what they're doing," she replied. "if anyone can find the wendigo, it's them." She released me from her hold and peered inside the car at Curtis. "Is he ok?" she asked.

"No, Sam said he needs to go to the hospital right away," I replied.

"Help me get him into my patrol car," she replied urgently as she hurried to his side of the door. I followed after her. We were able to balance Curtis between the two of us and walk him slowly to her car. He moaned in discomfort as he lowered his body into her backseat. I felt horrible. "Libby, get in," she ordered once Curtis was safely inside. "We need to get this boy some help."

"I'm staying here," I replied adamantly. "I need to wait for them."

"Libby, I don't have time for your stubbornness. You need to get in this damn car right now," she ordered firmly. I could see it in her face how stressed she was.

"But...," I started to protest when I heard a twig snap in the woods behind us. Jody and I both exchanged glances. I quickly ran to the Impala and grabbed the flare gun from the backseat along with my backpack. I ran back to Jody's side. "If it's the wendigo, it can only be killed with this." I handed the flare gun to her and then another twig snapped.

"Get in the car," she ordered quietly. I hesitated. I didn't want to leave her alone. "Now Libby!" She raised her voice slightly and opened the front door for me. I obeyed. I knew she was just trying to protect me. I climbed into the driver's seat and scooted to the other side of the car.

"Everything ok?" Curtis questioned.

"I don't know...the wendigo might be coming for us," I replied as I turned quickly in my seat to look at him. I turned back around and then I saw it emerge from the woods in front of the Impala. It was disgusting looking, even moreso than the rugaru. My eyes focused on its long, sharp claws and the yellow fangs that protruded from its mouth. "It's here," I gasped. I looked at Jody. She stood so bravely as she waited for her shot. Suddenly, the wendigo sprinted toward her quickly. I saw the bright light from the flare gun and then heard a screeching noise. Flames bursted in front of the patrol car and then I saw the wendigo stumbling as flames engulfed it. And then it collapsed onto the ground. I started to open the car door to check on Jody when she opened the driver's side and climbed in. Blood dripped from three claw marks on her arm. "You're hurt!" I gasped worriedly.

"It's just a scratch," she replied with a sigh. "We need to get your friend to a hospital." Her voice sounded urgent as she turned the key in the ignition. I watched as blood dripped down her arm and onto her pants. I knew she had to be in pain, but she was more worried about Curtis than herself.

"Wait! What about Sam, Dean, and Claire?!" I demanded worriedly. "We can't just leave them here!"

"I'll send them a text and I'll send out a out a search party to look for them," she replied. "But right now your friend needs medical attention." I glanced back frantically at Curtis and then at Jody as she put the car in reverse. "Buckle up," she mentioned.

"No!" I cried. "I need to know if Dean is ok! Please stop!" I reached for the door handle.

"Libby stop! Now!" she shouted sternly. I froze, Jody had never used that tone with me. "I mean it Libby, you need to stay in this car!" She kept reversing down the dirt road that led to the trailhead.

"Libby, please just do what you're told," Curtis moaned from the backseat. I looked back at him again. His face was pale and he looked like the pain had intensified.

"How do you feel?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm good Kansas," he replied as he tried to force a smile onto his lips. Jody had pulled out onto the highway. Her sirens blared as she accelerated quickly down the road.

"Libby, what's your friend's name?" Jody asked. "I'd like to call his parents."

"Ummmmm," I hesitated.

"Curtis Monast," Curtis grumbled from the backseat. Jody looked back at him through the rear view mirror, a concerned look on her face.

"Gail Monast's son?" she questioned.

"Yeah," he replied.

"So...you wouldn't happen to know anything about a missing car that was reported this morning, would ya?" Jody questioned. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and turned and glanced back at Curtis.

"I took it," he replied bravely. "I didn't want her driving home liquored up." Jody nodded her head as if she understood.

"His driving skills were impeccable," I added.

"You got in the car with him?" Jody questioned as she glanced quickly in my direction. I felt my face flush red with embarrassment.

"Well...we kinda drove it out here," I mumbled.

"You kids did what?!" she demanded, her voice shocked. I opened my mouth but nothing came out. The thought of us driving a car really was ridiculous. I still couldn't believe it myself. "What the hell were you two thinking?!" she demanded when neither of us replied.

"We weren't," Curtis finally mumbled from the backseat. "I'm sorry Sheriff Mills. It was all my fault. I wanted to see the wendigo." I glanced over at Jody. Her body was tense as she gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes focused on the road ahead. I felt bad. I had really screwed up this time. Everyone was hurt because of me. I decided to sit quietly and wait. I kept thinking of Dean and the image of the wendigo dragging him away. He just couldn't be dead. A few tears made their way out of my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I watched as they splashed onto my jeans and then more tears followed until I was sobbing. Moments later Jody took a hold of my hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"They'll be back...all three of them," she said gently when I looked over at her. Her eyes looked tired and worried, and I wasn't convinced that she believed it herself. I nodded my head and wiped my eyes with my sleeve. "We're here," she sighed as she made a sharp right hand turn. A big sign that read _Sanford USD Medical Center_ was directly in front of us and she came to a stop in front of the emergency room entrance. Jody got out to get assistance and within moments Curtis was being removed from the car and placed onto a stretcher. Jody opened my door. "Stay here. I just need to go inside and give them some information," she stated.

"We're just going to leave him here alone?" I demanded.

"Libby, I need you to trust me right now," she stated sternly. "Now stay put." She closed my door and then headed into the emergency room. I waited impatiently until she finally came back. I noticed her arm was cleaned and wrapped. "Curtis is in good hands and once his broken bones heal, he'll be fine," she commented as she climbed back into the driver's seat. "We need to head back to the station so that I can organize a search party for the others."

"Ok," I replied, feeling horrible that we were leaving Curtis there alone and even more horrible that we left Sam, Dean, and Claire in the woods. Once we were back at the station, I paced the hallways nervously for what seemed like hours while Jody made arrangements for a search party. It was now dark outside and I had a horrible feeling that something bad had happened. Jody finally came out of her office, looking worn out and tired. "Have you heard anything?" I demanded as I made my way toward her quickly. She shook her head with disappointment and tears immediately filled my eyes.

"Come on, let's go home," she mentioned as she put her arm around my shoulders. "They'll be searching the woods all night. We should know something by morning."

"Can we go look for them?" I asked desperately.

"No sweetie, I'm taking you home, you need some rest and I know the boys wouldn't want you back out there," she replied. I was exhausted and I knew Jody was too, so I didn't argue, even though I wanted to. Once we were back at her house, I took a quick shower and brought my pillow and blanket out to the couch. Jody sat down next to me with her pillow and a book. "Do you mind if I keep you company?" she asked.

"No," I replied with a yawn. I placed my pillow on her lap and laid my head down on top of it. She rubbed my head gently and I fought to keep my eyes open. "I'm really sorry Jody," I said quietly. "Bad things happen because of me."

"I know your sorry honey," she replied gently. "Try to get some sleep. I'll wake you up if I hear anything."

I woke up to roar of the Impala's engine. I immediately jumped up from the couch and ran over to the window; my heart was pounding in my chest. I saw Sam and Claire in the front seat, but no Dean. I started to panic. I ran to the front door and pulled it open. The sun was just rising and there was a cold chill to the air, along with a dusting of snow on the ground. I felt hands on my shoulders and turned to find Jody.

"I don't see Dean," I mentioned as I fought back the tears. "What if...?"

"No need to worry...Claire texted me, she said they're all safe," Jody replied. Just as she finished speaking, I saw Dean's head pop up in the back seat. I pushed open the screen door and ran outside. The snow was frigid beneath my bare feet but I didn't care. Sam climbed out first and while I wanted to hug him, I wanted to get to Dean first. So, I made my way quickly past Sam and met Dean as he opened the back door.

"Libby, where are your shoes?" questioned Sam from behind me.

"You're alive!" I cried as I threw my arms around Dean before he had a chance to stand up. I held him tightly for a few minutes until I heard him gasping for air.

"Hey kid, I'm not going to be alive for much longer if you continue to suffocate me," he grumbled. I stepped back and looked him over. He a few cuts on his face, but he didn't seem badly injured.

"I thought you were dead," I sighed as my eyes filled with tears.

"I'm fine kiddo...Did ya really think I would go and get myself killed? " he joked as he stood up. He reached out and put his hand on the back of my head and pulled me close to him and held me tightly. "We're all safe...tired and hungry, but alive," he said reassuringly. "And we apparently have a lot to talk about, but not right now." His voice had turned from gentle to firm. I sighed at his words. I knew I had messed up big time. He released the hold on me and I grabbed his hand as he made his way toward the house. Sam and Claire were ahead of us. I was bound and determined that I wouldn't let Dean out of my sight ever again. I had almost lost him once and I wouldn't let it happen again. I knew then that I had to go back to Kansas with them. I belonged with them. And I also knew I was proud and ready to call Dean my Dad.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks to everyone who's following and reviewing. Hailstorm3 owns Libby, I'm co-writing with her (HappyGoddess2003), and neither of us own anything Supernatural.

 ***There is discipline of a minor in this chapter.***

Chapter 9:

After Uncle Sam, Dad, and Claire got showered and settled in, we all crashed. They told me there would be time for all of us to talk after we got some rest and then ate. Uncle Sam lay on the couch and I brought him over and extra pillow as he was pulling a blanket up over his shoulders.

"Uncle Sam?" I said, holding the pillow out in front of me. He looked across at me with bleary eyes and gave me a small smile.

"You okay, Libs? Need something? _(I couldn't believe he was asking me that. He just faced down a monster and had me in his way, and was still thinking of me first. I was so ungrateful. I was gonna change that starting now. I would be better, I promised myself.)_

"Well, umm, no… I just…just … wanted you to have this extra pillow, Uncle Sam. And this water." I reached down and put the bottle on the floor beside him. He lifted up his arm for me to come to him.

I put my head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around me, full of love and protection. I reached around his neck and hugged him tight.

"I love you, Uncle Sam, and I'm so sorry," I managed to choke out.

"Shhh…Libs, everyone is okay, and that's what the most important thing is, hmm?" he asked. I nodded into his neck.

"I want you to go get a water for yourself and go lay down - we'll all talk later. The important thing is we're all safe. Especially you." He kissed me on my cheek and raised his head so I could put the extra pillow under his head.

"Where's my Dad?" I asked, having already lost him again in Jody's little house.

"Back with Jody," he slurred, already falling to sleep. ( _Okay -so I knew where to find him – good.)_

I leaned into his ear and said two words. "Thank you." I swear he smiled even though he was asleep.

Then I went looking for my Dad.

SPNSPNSPN

Dad was coming out of Jody's room with a blanket and a pillow, heading down the hall. I felt my heart start to race, even though I knew he was safe and in the house with me.

"Where ya goin',Dad?" I asked, looking at the cuts on his face _. (I might as well have done that myself. He had them because of me.)_

"Hitting the couch – come on, I'll tuck you in," he said, turning my shoulder and steering me into my room. I had my emoji's on and he waited while I brushed my gross teeth.

I came out and stared at him. He was sitting on my bed. Alive. I thought for sure he was dead, but here he was, ready to tuck me in _(no thanks to me. He got lucky. That thing wanted to kill him after dragging him away. I saw it. I FELT it.)_

Fingers snapped in front of me, and then I saw Dad's green eyes studying me closely. He pulled me over to his side and pulled down the covers on my bed.

"Come on, honey, climb in. You're exhausted, I'm exhausted…" he began.

"Don't go," I blurted. "Please."

I pushed my pillow way over to the other side of the bed. "See? There's plenty of room," I pleaded.

His eyes turned soft and he sat down next to me. "You okay, kid? What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

I reached over and hugged him sideways. "I don't know, Dad. I don't know what's wrong; I just want you to stay with me okay? Just for now? I'm just… just…"

I felt tears stinging my eyes and swiped them away. I didn't care, though, and I wasn't even embarrassed like I usually would be. All I knew is I didn't want to leave his side.

"Okay, calm down, Libby… Slide over, kiddo," he said, fluffing up his pillow and climbing in beside me.

"Thanks, Dad," I said, trying to sound like I wasn't crying. I think he knew I was, because he put his arm around me and let me rest on his chest. "Everything's gonna be okay, I promise. Close those eyes and let's get some rest. No more talking," he said firmly.

I was already drifting, sliding my hand over to grab the side of his tee shirt, just in case he decided to get up and leave me - I would have a hold on him.

SPNSPNSPN

I woke up to go to the bathroom. When I was finished, I heard low, angry voices from across the hall. I stole a look at Dad and he was snoring away, so I pressed my ear against my door as tight as I could. It was Uncle Sam and Claire.

I tried to hear everything they were arguing about, but I didn't want to leave Dad, so I dropped to the floor and turned my head toward the space at the floor. _(I knew I was snooping, but I had to know!)_ I could hear a little better from that angle, but their voices were still muffled.

I definitely heard my name… I heard Uncle Sam say "know what this means" and I heard Claire telling him "fuck off Winchester". Then it was really quiet. I got a pit in my stomach for Claire, because nobody talks that way to my Uncle Sam or my Dad. Then I heard some shuffling and a smacking sound, followed by another. I knew what that meant, but I didn't want to know. _(My fault, Claire was in big trouble and it was my fault again. She'll hate me forever.)_ I stood up and ran over to my bed and jumped under the covers with Dad, snuggling deep under his armpit, hiding from everything. _(For now.)_

SPNSPNSPN

It was almost evening before we had my room taken apart and the car packed. Dad and Uncle Sam wanted to get on the road and home as soon as possible, so we could "talk." _(ANOTHER talk – this one I was really dreading. I felt so sick, so full of guilt. I deserved it. I deserved it all.)_

Jody came to hug me and I threw my arms around her waist and thanked her for everything. I thanked her for giving me a chance and for treating me just like one of her own.

"Aww, honey, you are like one of my own! We're all family here," she said with a soft smile, squeezing me back.

"What's gonna happen to Curtis and his sister?" I asked, choking up. "He doesn't even know I'm going back home."

"I'll take special care of those two, don't you worry, Libby. Your Dad and Sam have already given me permission to give him your phone number, and I'll make sure I keep him near this area. I promise, they'll be well taken care of."

I turned to my dad and Uncle, shocked. "Really?" I asked.

Dad nodded once and Uncle Sam said, "That reminds me – I need your phone." He held out his hand, waiting for me to pass it over. I gave him a bag I had already filled with my phone, books I loved, and my music. He gave dad a curious look as he took the bag from me. Dad shrugged.

"Looks like we're on the same page," Dad said, giving me a stern look.

I nodded. "I have my notebook and I'll start writing lines as soon as we get on the highway," I said, pointing to my cammo backpack.

"Woah – back up, Libs. It's almost dark - you're not writing lines. It'll hurt your eyes," Uncle Sam said. _(GOOD – I deserved hurt eyes. My dad could have been killed – ALL of us could have been. Strained eyes meant nothing to me.)_

"Umm… Jody? Can I go say good-by to the girls?"

A small frown crossed her face and she sighed. "I'm sorry, honey – Alex went out and Claire, well, Claire doesn't want to come out of her room." She shot a look at Uncle Sam that I caught.

Tears filled my eyes. "PLEASE tell her how sorry I am, Jody! I didn't mean to…" and then I stopped.

"Mean to what?" Uncle Sam asked, as if he knew the answer.

"I didn't mean to, umm… put her in danger. Tell her I love her and I'm sorry, okay?" I asked.

"I will honey, and she's a big girl. She knew what she was getting herself into. She'll get over it in a few days, I'm sure," she said, looking at Uncle Sam with an understanding smile.

I felt an arm around my shoulder and Dad leading me out the door to the Impala and the spot they made for me to rest if I wanted. Most of the back seat was packed but they made a little bed for me with my pillow and a blanket. _(Another wave of guilt washed over me – I felt like I should be lying on razor blades instead of the soft leather of the back seat.)_

We all quickly settled in and before I knew it we were flying down the highway, leaving Jody's house behind us. I realized going to Jody's was just a whim – I wanted to run away from all the rules and strict living at the bunker. Now all I wanted to do was get back and be in the safety of my Dad and Uncle. I never wanted to leave them again. I had learned my lesson.

I curled up on my side and closed my eyes to the movement of Baby taking me back home. I felt Uncle Sam's hand pat my leg and hold there for a few minutes, giving me the comfort I was craving, but knew I didn't deserve. He tucked my blanket in under me _(how long WERE his arms, anyhow?),_ and I began to drift off to the low voices of the two people I loved most in the world.

SPNSPNSPN

I woke up and realized the car wasn't moving. I sat straight up, peering into the dusky night under the lights of the service station we pulled into. I didn't see Dad anywhere. I got all tangled up in my blanket trying to twist myself to find him. I was sweating and everything was sticking to me, and I was thirsty.

"Dad?" I croaked out, voice splitting. "Daaaad?" I said louder. Uncle Sam opened the driver's door, reaching in for me.

"Uncle Sam I can't find Dad – where is he?" I said, panicking. My breathing felt funny and I was starting to see little black spots in front of my eyes.

He reached through and pulled me up front into the driver's seat. _(The man seriously did have extremely long arms.)_ He kept his hands on my shoulders, crouching down in front of me.

"Hey- hey, he's just taking a break and grabbing some snacks for us. I've been right here pumping gas and watching you the whole time," he said evenly, squeezing my shoulders. "Come on now – you're all sweaty and clammy, Libs." He pushed my damp hair back from my face with a look of surprise.

"Libby – what the hell? You're so pale – when did you eat last? Did you even drink the juice we left for you back there?" he asked, lifting his head to see the juice and water I hadn't touched. Unopened peanut butter crackers were piled up next to them.

I leaned my head forward, toward my knees because the black spots were getting bigger. "Not hungry or thirsty, Uncle Sam…" I murmured.

"Whoa, whoa – hey!" he said sharply, shaking my shoulders to get my attention. "Head down - now," he ordered, putting me across the front seats. My eyes started to clear a little. "Here," he said, lifting my head up. "Take a drink of this OJ. Small sips. Good girl," he encouraged.

I had to admit it felt good on my throat, and I felt the sugar lifting me a little, so I tried sitting up. "Not so fast – keep your head down until this juice is gone and this package of crackers are finished," he said, rolling up his jacket and putting it behind my head. I took the crackers and began nibbling at them. I could feel my lower lip start to quiver _\- (baby such a baby! Crybaby!)_

Uncle Sam came around and opened his door, lifting me into his lap. "Hey, Libs, what's this? What's going on with you, hmmm?" he asked softly. "Don't stop eating though, and here, take another drink."

"Libs, talk to me."

I sat on his lap like I had so many times before and I realized that he could be gone now, too. Just like Dad could be. He went after him, to save him from the wendigo. _(Everyone I love dies; it was just a matter of time for them to go, too.)_

"Dad's taking too long – something's wrong! Uncle Sam, go check on him!" I cried, tears finally spilling down my face. "Something could have followed us – where is he?" I sobbed.

"Libs, shh… Dean is fine. He's probably flirting with the cashier – you know him. He likes to stretch his legs, too. He can take care of himself," he answered, handing me another cracker with a look of determination on his face.

I threw the cracker down, frustrated. _(I don't want crackers, I don't want juice – I want my Dad!)_

"Well, he couldn't take care of himself when the wendigo took him… took him and… and… dragged him…" I sobbed into his shirt. "Where is HE?" I said, crying louder.

"Okay, okay, Libs – shh – come on," Uncle Sam said, handing me that stupid cracker again. I took it from him, ate it, and washed it down with the juice while he shifted and pulled out his phone.

"Hey," I heard him say. "I need you back at the car. Libby's borderline hysterical. No, over YOU… she almost passed out. Just get over here so we can get home and sort this through. Okay, here she is." He handed the phone to me, taking my empty juice bottle and handing me the last cracker.

"Da-aa-d?" I whimpered. "Dad please come back – I was worried about you! Yes, Uncle Sam made me eat and drink a juice. Hurry up, okay?" _(I couldn't help it and I didn't care. I wouldn't be happy until he was back in Baby with us.)_

I handed the phone back to Uncle Sam. He nodded to me to eat that last cracker while he spoke in a low voice to Dad.

"I dunno, man. She woke up pale as a ghost, hadn't eaten or drank anything. Crying about something following us – I know, right? Yeah, we'll be home soon. See ya in five." I heard the disconnection sound from his phone and he looked down at me.

"Feel better?" he asked, pushing my hair back off my face again. "Jeez, your hair's grown, Libs. We'll go get you some elastics so you can make a ponytail or something, ok? After we get home, I mean," he added.

I was barely paying attention, though, because I saw my Dad coming around the corner swinging a bag and holding a Gatorade. I looked at Uncle Sam, silently asking permission.

"Go on," he said, nodding to where Dad was.

I flew out of Baby. "Dad!" I yelled, launching myself into him, holding my arms around his waist and smooshing my face into his belly. "I thought you were gone," I whispered into him.

I put my feet on his feet and we walked over (like Frankenstein) to Uncle Sam, handing him the bag of snacks and Gatorade. "That Gatorade's for you, Libby. I want it to be an empty bottle in half an hour, got me?" Dad said.

"Yeah, I got you," I said, still holding onto his middle.

We were walking around to the driver's side and he opened the door, sliding me across the leather so I was in between him and Uncle Sam.

"Um, I should probably be in the back and buckled in," I blurted.

Dad did a half-shake of his head. "Not so fast, Miss Martyr," he said.

I crinkled my nose and gave him a strange look.

"I don't even know what that means. It probably means something bad, though," I said with my head down. I looked at Uncle Sam. "Am I a martyr?" I asked. "In all seriousness, AM I? What does it mean?" _(I was getting aggravated, even though I loved being up front with them both. Nothing could happen if we were all together.)_

"I dunno, Libs… You tell us." He handed me his phone with Urban Dictionary on the screen. "Read this part," he said, pointing to the second and third line.

I took a swig of Gatorade. "Okay – umm – _"One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.A great show of suffering in order to arouse sympathy."_

"Well?" Dad asked.

"No – nooo – I'm not "a martyr!" Why would you call me that?"

"Because you handed over more than we asked for at Jody's, you wanted to write lines in the dark, and you denied yourself food and drink for almost the entire ride, to the point you almost passed out. That's kinda martyr-like stuff," Uncle Sam explained.

"And that shit's gonna stop before we get home, Libby. Do we understand each other?" Dad spoke to me, tilting my face so I looked directly at him.

I could feel my flush from his stare. I couldn't look away, and I couldn't deny their words.

"It's not on purpose; I just did what made me feel better inside."

"Better **how** , Libs?" Uncle Sam asked.

I pulled myself out of Dad's grip, looking down at my fingernails and picking at the cuticles. I tried to find the words to match the images in my head. I tried to will the words to come out of my mouth. _(Come on Libby, say something!)_

"Answer us."

"I'm thinking!" I snapped at Uncle Sam. He gave me a look that would have scared the crap outta me a month ago, except since then, I had seen my dad dragged away and almost killed. That changed me. Forever. His look was still scary, though.

"Watch yourself, Libs. Nobody's rushing you, right, Dean?"

"Well, I for one would like to get home sometime before tomorrow, so I guess I AM rushing you, Lib. Tell us how doing those things made you feel better."

I sighed and rested my head on Dad's arm. Uncle Sam reached over and ran his finger down my cheek, something he would do sometimes when I was really stressed out or couldn't fall asleep. I decided to level with them.

"It made me feel better, denying myself. Like, it's my entire fault. I don't deserve anything! Everything that happened at Jody's is because of me. I don't deserve anything good for a long, long time. And that's how I still feel and nobody can change my mind."

I got up, crawled into the back seat, grabbed my Gatorade and began to drink. Neither one of them said anything back to me or about what I said for the rest of the way home. I drank the Gatorade until it was gone, ate some crackers, and fell asleep. I don't know why, but I felt good. I felt like for the first time I gave them the real answer, not something they wanted to hear. If I had only known the domino effect of that small, front seat conversation, I would never have opened my mouth.

SPNSPNSPN

The next thing I knew, I was waking up – in my own bed in my own room at home. Home. Now that I was finally here I wasn't sure what to expect.

All my stuff was unloaded from the Impala in piles on my floor. All my posters, clothes, linens, and comforter were there. I looked over at my clock – it was almost two in the afternoon! I got up and went toward the kitchen, listening for Dad or Uncle Sam, but there was nothing. _(Get a grip, Libby, don't you panic. He is here. They are fine.)_ My heartbeat began to pick up when I saw the kitchen empty.

"Dad? Uncle Sam?" I yelled toward the library. "Hello?"

Nothing.

Now my heart was racing, I could feel heat crawling its way up my chest and onto my face. Blotchy skin, a dead giveaway for the panic. My arms began to tingle, feeling heavy. _(Come on, seriously, I can't catch a break.)_

"DAAAAAD" I screamed at the top of my lungs, right before I stumbled forward in the living room _(the "talking room" I used to call it – I remember that now)._ This time there was no Uncle Sam to catch me by the shoulders. All the dark came at once and the last thing I remember was the corner of the coffee table racing toward my face.

"…Owwww – Stop it! Noooooo!" I moaned, opening my eyes to Dad and Uncle Sam over me. Uncle Sam was doing something to my temple. It hurt really bad. I reached up to try to push his hand away.

Dad grabbed my wrists and held them down to my side. "Libby – stay still. You fell and cut your head. Uncle Sam's stitching you up, so you have to stay still, understand?" He let go and I felt him wiping the sides of my face, where my tears were leaking down.

"Hurts," I whimpered.

"I know, Bub," Uncle Sam said – he paused for just a second and kissed the top of my head. "You really cracked yourself good. Four more to go. Try and relax. Think good stuff."

 _(Like how everything in their lives revolved around me and my drama? What good stuff? I ruined everything.)_

The needle pierced my skin and I held back a yelp. I would stay perfectly still and feel every bit of pain that came with it. How much pain had they suffered because of me? I deserved this and so much more. I concentrated on pulling the pain in. Breathing and pulling.

"You doin' okay, baby?" Dad asked.

I pulled my lips together and closed my eyes. "Yep, I'm fine," I said, hopefully convincing them both.

"Last one, Libs."

I felt the thread slide through my skin and him pulling it tight. I grabbed the pain and brought it inside me. It settled well there.

"Okay, honey, you're all set. Just gotta clean and bandage - then we'll move you, sound good?"

"Yep, sounds good," I repeated back to him.

He wiped it, like, a thousand burning times and then I felt him press the bandage over it. "Am I done? Can I sit up now?" I asked.

"Slowly," Dad said, taking his arm around my waist and bringing me up to a sitting position. I saw two of everything before finally seeing clearly.

"Where were you two?" I asked sharply. "I got up and looked all over and nobody was here and there wasn't even a note! I was freaking out!"

I saw them exchange their look.

"Stop doing that!" I yelled.

"What? Doing what?" Dad said slowly. "And I'd check the volume of your voice before you answer."

"Stop doing those looks over my head – I'm right here! I mean, I can SEE you sending these looks back and forth – talking about me!" I made sure my tone was in a more Winchester-acceptable range.

Uncle Sam handed me two white pills and water, nodding for me to swallow them. I threw them in and washed them down. "What do you think our looks are saying about you, hmm?"

"I dunno – mostly I just think they say that you'll talk later about how crazy I am," I sighed.

"We don't think you're crazy," Dad said, cracking a grin.

"I'm serious, Dad – don't laugh at me!" I said indignantly.

"I know you are, kid. It's just, that's what makes it kinda funny. You're a lot of things, Libby – crazy ain't one of them."

I was already tired and it wasn't even four o'clock.

"I'm tired, I need to lie down," I said.

"Oh – no ya don't. You cracked your temple and that means you have to stay UP. Awake. We need to keep an eye on you. You need something to eat, and then maybe we can talk a little," Uncle Sam said firmly. _(Talk, talk, talk – again with all the talking!)_

I looked at Dad. "Pizza?"

"That's my girl!" he said, reaching for his phone. "Pizza it is."

SPNSPNSPN

We made short work of that pizza. Uncle Sam would occasionally look at my eyes and ask me questions to assure himself I didn't have a concussion. Dad would jokingly hold up four fingers and ask me if I saw "the two fingers he was holding up." He was such a tool, but he was MY Dad and MY tool, and it made me smile.

After everything was cleaned up, I cleared my throat. _(Let's go Libby, don't lose your courage now.)_ I had something I wanted to say, because I knew the "punishment talk" was about to begin.

I coughed. Their faces turned expectantly toward me, and for a second I drew a blank. _(Breathe. Let it come. Okay.)_

"I've been thinking about … my punishment."

Two sets of eyes laser-locked to mine, their eyebrows arched. I saw Uncle Sam's eye twitch just a little, and Dad, well… stone.

"Anyhow, I know I've broken about every rule you've set for me to keep me safe. I know I've done a lot of bad things and worst of all; I almost got…got… I could have gotten all of us killed." _(Now that I started I felt calm. I didn't feel emotional at all. Or even choked up. It felt good to finally be able to say what I'd been thinking about. And I'd been thinking a good long time.)_

"So what I want to say, Dad – Uncle Sam – is that there's no punishment that's too much for me. I deserve everything you throw at me and more. I know I deserve a spanking, but I think I deserve more than that. I deserve a belt. I deserve the worst of the worst because that's what I am. No matter how long it lasts; no matter if you forgive me or not, I will never forgive myself for being so selfish, so inconsiderate, so…"

"Libby, that's enough." Dad.

"Libs, go to your room. Now." Uncle Sam.

"But I'm not finished!" Me.

"Oh, yes you are. Go," Dad said, staring at me, trying to read me. _(Maybe he thought I was playing him. He was wrong.)_

"Just…"

"Libs, go to your room or I will take you there myself. Don't even," Uncle Sam said, looking at me like I was a puzzle.

I looked at them both, stood up and pushed my chair in. I had said enough to make my point. I walked into my room, navigating the boxes and piles of unpacked stuff I wasn't planning on putting back on my walls or my bed. I deserved bare walls. I deserved my bed without my comforter. I would miss my emoji pajama's the most.

SPNSPNSPN

 **Dean**

"Dude, what the fuck was that?" Sam said, shaking his head back to move his hair off his face.

"Who was that kid? How hard did she hit her head? Shit, Sammy, I dunno what to make of that." I was baffled.

"She looked serious, that's for sure. Dean, this isn't good. I mean, we have to punish her for sure, but I don't think that was an act. I think she meant exactly what she said."

"A girl. I had to have a girl," I said, scratching the side of my neck. "And what's with her being such a cling-on all the sudden? We've been through shit before; she knows we can handle ourselves."

Sam finished his beer and stood up to grab two more. "True, but this time she saw you dragged away. You shoulda heard her – screaming for it to take her instead. I had to really shake her to get her attention. Claire shoulda never let her go near that hunt. Now she doesn't want you out of her sight. Sometimes we forget she's still just a little girl, and we're the only family she has now."

"Yeah, and she blames herself for it all" I said, shaking my head. "So you think she really has some kind of PTSD or something?"

"Oh yeah. Throw on loads of guilt and shame, feelings of failure. She let us down, and she knows it. I kinda liked it better when we had to explain it all to her. She seems so much… less innocent," he answered.

"She's had a hard time, I know. But that doesn't change the fact that she dragged herself and that boy out to those woods. Or that she lied and broke our trust in about a hundred different ways," I said.

"Agreed," Sam said. "But we need to keep a close eye on her. She's not the same girl now. It's up to us to dole out the punishment, and let her know she can regain our trust. What are you thinking?"

"Well, I'm not turning into dad and beating her with a belt. That's not happening. It's like she wants me to." I shook my head in disbelief. "Dude, that's just messed up. I'll spank her ass for sure. We keep her phone for a month, no contact with her friend Curtis. No anything without our permission and no backtalk. Strikes are back on from this point forward. Anything to add?"

Sam sat for a minute, deep in thought. "I think we keep her close, watch her for any backlash from the PTSD. Expect her to be more … umm… clingy. She'll need you more, Dean. More reassurance, ya know? I'll do what I can from my end. I think we limit TV to stuff we watch together. Make her feel more secure. And we don't budge on this self-loathing crap she has going. Nip it in the bud."

"OK," I said, "Sounds like a plan. I'll get this over with and out of the way."

"I'll come in later and talk to her," Sam said. "Say goodnight and all."

"Cool," I said, finishing my beer and heading down to Libby's room.

SPNSPN

Dad knocked on the door and poked his head in.

"You ready?" he asked, all business. Still, he had a weird look on his face. He looked around my room. "Tomorrow we'll work on getting you set back up where you belong," he said.

"I don't think I deserve it," I mumbled.

He was right next to me, standing beside my bed. "What's that?" he asked, turning his ear.

"I said, I don't think I should have anything on my walls or any of my nice stuff for awhile, as, ya know, part of my punishment," I looked over to my pile, nodding.

Dad sat down on the bed next to me and turned me to face him. I expected to be across his lap in a second, but instead he put his hands on the sides of my face, gently.

"Libby, I want you to listen well, cause I'm only sayin this once. You're MY daughter. I will decide your punishments along with Uncle Sam. YOUR job is to learn from your punishment. From this point forward you're back on the strike system just like before, understand?"

I nodded, trying to follow what he was saying. He was ruining all my plans for what I deserved!

"But, Dad, I'm bad. I thought you were dead! I saw it take you…down…" I had to stop; I covered my face with my hands, shaking.

"Okay – Libs, it's okay. I'm here and I'm fine and we're gonna get this part of your punishment over with. You know what that means, right?"

I nodded, feeling sick to my stomach. "Spanking with the belt. I know," I choked out.

Dad looked at me, shocked. "What did I JUST say to you about who decides your punishment? Answer me."

"You said… you and Uncle Sam are the ones who decide my punishment."

"And?"

I looked up at him. "And my job is to learn from it."

"Exactly. Let's get this over with," he said, pulling me down and across his lap.

He didn't even give me a chance to adjust. He just smacked my rear over and over, up and down, keeping his left hand on my lower back to keep me in place. Oh, it hurt so bad! I sucked in a breath of air and let out a sob. Undeterred, he just kept his pace, covering every area of my butt. I was crying into my blanket and clutching his leg.

He only said one thing, finishing up. "Don't you ever, EVER do something so stupid again, Libby, or you will see my belt. If you ever put yourself in danger again, that's a promise."

"I won't, I won't, I won't ever – Dad, I'm so sorry! I don't know why I do the things I do sometimes… Please, please don't leave me! I'll do better. I'll do better, I promise!" I sobbed into his neck.

"Libby, when will you get it – you're my girl. I'll never leave you. I'd die for you. So would Uncle Sam. You just need to pay attention and follow the rules we make to keep you safe. Shhh…" he hushed me, rocking me sideways. "Everything's gonna be okay, just let us take care of you. That's your job from now on, got it?"

I looked up for a second, so he could see my face. "Got it, Dad."

"Okay, then – go brush your teeth and Uncle Sam will be in to say good night in a minute."

"Can I, umm… keep the desk light on tonight?" I asked, embarrassed.

"Sure thing," he said, kissing my forehead and getting up to turn it on.

I got up to brush and Uncle Sam came in. "Everything good in here?" he asked, searching my face for a hidden answer.

"Yep," Dad said, "She understands we take care of her, and that she's back on the strikes. We'll fill her in on the rest tomorrow when we're putting her room back together with her. I'll let you tuck her in," he said. He kissed me. "I love you, Lib. Sleep tight."

"Night, Dad. Love you too."

Uncle Sam smiled, and then got a crinkle between his eyes.

"Where are your emoji pajama's?" he asked, curious and suspicious at the same time. _(He was so tuned in to me! GAAH!)_

"Oh… I don't know in all that pile…. Gotta brush," I said, dipping into the bathroom.

I came out and my pajamas were on my bed. The comforter was there and so was Uncle Sam. I looked down at the floor, ashamed to see them there, my favorites.

"Libby," he said softly, handing them to me.

"I just can't, Uncle Sam… It…it's not right."

I felt his arms around me and he lifted me up on his hip.

"It IS right, because I say its right. You can't trust your feelings right now, ok? You're like a ship with a broken compass… So when you start feeling like this, you come to your Dad or me and ask, okay? We'll be your compass for awhile, understand?"

I rested my head on his shoulder. It was like he made a muscle there especially for me to lay my head on. "I understand. I'll go put them on," I said, giving in.

He tucked me in, checked my stitches, and gave me two more pills. He kissed my forehead and ran his finger down my cheek. "Love you, Libs. Forever, okay?"

"Forever, yep, got it," I said, drifting toward sleep.

He walked over to turn off the desk lamp. "No, Uncle Sam, I want to keep it on. I mean, please."

He nodded in understanding. "Sure thing."

"And keep the door open, okay? Make it stay open, k?"

He chuckled. "Got it. Door open. Anything else, your majesty?" he asked.

But I was already floating away, asleep in my bed in my emoji pajamas, with my comforter covering me. I was home.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks again for reading and reviewing! We appreciate it and hope you are enjoying Libby's adventures. We plan for her to have many more. This chapter is brought to you by HailstormJen. I hope you enjoy!**_

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I woke up covered in sweat and my bed was soaked beneath me. _(Oh no, not an accident! Not again!)_ I pulled up on my comforter so that I could see beneath it and sure enough the evidence was there. My first reaction was to cry and that's exactly what I did. Tears fell from my eyes as I climbed out of bed and pulled the wet sheets off. _(I deserved this. This was part of my punishment.)_ It was a good thing they hadn't taken the plastic cover off of my mattress yet. I wanted to run to Dad and Uncle Sam and tell them what had happened, but I couldn't, I was twelve years old...too big to act like a needy little girl. I needed to show them that I was mature and responsible. I fumbled into the hallway with the pile and made my way to the laundry room. I tossed them into the washer and then turned to head for the bathroom. I instinctively screamed as I walked directly into Uncle Sam. We both jumped with surprise...and then within moments, Dad came running toward us clutching a baseball bat in his hands. I couldn't help but smile at the image.

"What's going on?...You two ok?" he gasped as he stopped next to Uncle Sam.

"Yeah, I heard a noise in the hallway and I found Libby doing laundry," Uncle Sam replied. They both looked at me with surprise.

"Laundry at 3am Libs?" Dad questioned as he raised his eyebrows. Before I could respond, his eyes rested on my wet pajama bottoms. "Ohhh, I see...it's ok...no big deal." He placed his hand on top of my head and ruffled my hair. I was so embarrassed.

"Easy for you to say," I mumbled. _(I thought I was over this.)_

"Put your wet clothes outside the bathroom door and I'll throw them in the washer," Uncle Sam offered.

"Ok," I replied as I hurried for the bathroom. After I showered, I found that someone had put my clean puppy pajamas on the counter. They weren't my emoji ones, but they would do. After I got dressed, I headed back to my bedroom to find clean sheets and a blanket on my bed. _(Why did they insist on being so nice to me? I was so undeserving.)_

"Back to bed kiddo," Dad's voice commented from behind me. I turned to face him. The thought of being alone overwhelmed me and I really wanted to be able to keep an eye on my Dad.

"Ummm...Dad? Do you think I could sleep in your room?" I asked worriedly. "I'll sleep on the floor...I just don't wanna be alone. I keep dreaming about the wendigo." I felt my eyes well up with tears. _  
_

"Yeah kiddo, if it will help you sleep better," Dad replied as he stepped past me and lifted my mattress from the frame. He set it on its side and slid it past me and through the doorway. I grabbed my pillows and followed after him, relieved that he understood and that I wouldn't have to sleep alone.

"Thanks Dad, goodnight," I said as I snuggled safely underneath my covers.

"Goodnight Libs," he replied as he climbed into his own bed. I closed my eyes and drifted off almost immediately.

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A few weeks passed and I continued to sleep on my Dad's floor. As long as I slept in the same room, the nightmares stopped and so did the bedwetting. Both Dad and Uncle Sam insisted that I try to go back to my bed for one night and that's when I had another nightmare and an accident. The nightmares were always the same. The wendigo would come charging out of the woods and take my Dad right before my very eyes. I was helpless. Dad or Uncle Sam always stayed close by. They put a temporary halt on hunting and if there were errands that needed to be done, usually Uncle Sam went or we all went. Dad never left me. I was fine with that.

Uncle Sam put me on a structured scheduled during the day. It went pretty much like this - _breakfast, exercise, schoolwork, lunch, schoolwork, 2 hours of my own, dinner, reading,_ and then _bed at 8pm._ Sometimes they would allow me to stay up a little later to watch television with them. On the weekends I would have chores and also, as part of my punishment, I would have to clean every car in the garage, inside and out. The cars were already spotless and I knew it was just busy work.

"Hey Libs! Come in here!" Uncle Sam called from the TV room one night before I was headed to bed. I finished putting on my emoji pajamas and hurried to find them sitting on the couch. Dad had a beer in his hand and Uncle Sam was holding a piece of paper. Uncle Sam patted the an empty spot between them. _(Oh no...what was this?)_

"Ummmm...am I in trouble?" I asked as I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail.

"No honey, just wanted to talk to you about something," Uncle Sam replied with a slight smile. I nodded and made my way around the coffee table and plopped myself between them. I watched as my Dad set his beer down on the table. "So...I've been doing some research on separation anxiety," Uncle Sam commented.

"Ummm...ok?" I questioned.

"Libs, I know you realize that you don't want to let your Dad out of your sight," Uncle Sam replied. _(I didn't like where this was going.)_ I nodded my head in response. "Well...we want to help you with that."

"No...I don't need help with that," I replied firmly. "I'm fine."

"Come on kiddo, I can't leave your sight without you freaking out," Dad mentioned. "We're not angry...we just want to help you."

"I don't see why it's an issue," I snapped.

"Well, it's a problem Libby," Dad replied firmly. I felt tears burn my eyes.

"No! No! It's not!" I snapped as I slammed my fists on my thighs. I eyed his beer on the table and then purposely shoved the table with my foot. I figured it would be a good distraction. Dad jumped quickly and caught the beer before it tumbled over onto the floor. _(That didn't go as planned.)_

"Strike 1," Uncle Sam declared. I turned and glared at him.

"It was an accident," I protested.

"Strike 2 for lying," my Dad announced firmly. _(Ugh! They noticed everything! Even when I tried to make it look like a mistake.)_ I turned and glared at him. "If we get to three, you're going to go to bed with a sore behind," he warned. I huffed and angrily crossed my arms across my chest. "Now, are you ready to listen?"

"Yes sirreee, Mr. Drill Sergeant, " I huffed with an impulsive eye roll. _(Oh crap! my Dad hated the eye rolls!)_

"Strike 3," Dad stated firmly. _(Shoot! I hated the 3 strikes and you're out!)_ He scooted closer to me and the next thing I knew I was being pulled across his lap.

"Dad stop!" I cried out, but it was too late. He quickly landed several hard smacks to my bottom. He stopped spanking but continued to hold me in position with his hand on my back. "The attitude stops. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I sobbed. "I'm sorry." He released the hold that he had on me and helped me into a sitting position on his lap. "I'm sorry Dad," I reaffirmed as I gave him a quick hug.

"I know it's not an easy thing to talk about Libby, but we have to, and we need you to take this seriously," he replied as he hugged me back. "Uncle Sam has some ideas to help us." I released the hug I had on my Dad and turned toward Uncle Sam. I had completely forgotten that he was sitting there.

"I'm sorry Uncle Sam," I said regretfully as I wiped the tears from my eyes and slid off of my Dad's lap and onto the couch between them.

"Apology accepted," he replied with a slight smile. He placed a piece of paper down in front of me. It looked like another schedule with dates and times. _(Sheesh...this man was so OCD. He had a schedule for everything.)_ "We're going to have your Dad leave the bunker for a little while everyday," Uncle Sam explained. "We'll start with 15 minutes tomorrow and increase the time everyday." He patted the paper in front of me. "This is the schedule so that you can be prepared ahead of time." I looked down at the paper and then up at Uncle Sam. "What do you think Libs?" he asked. _(I thought it was stupid but wasn't about to say that out loud.)_

"It's fine, I can let Dad out of my sight for 15 minutes, I don't see what the big deal is," I replied confidently. "You'll see." My stomach hurt just thinking about it, but I was bound and determined to show them that I could do it.

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The next day I followed my daily schedule until Dad was scheduled to leave. I had just started my two hour break when Dad announced that he was taking off to run an errand. "I'll be right back kiddo," he said as kissed me gently on the forehead.

"Ok," I replied. Uncle Sam came and stepped behind me. He gently placed his hands on my shoulders. I watched as Dad started down the hallway toward the garage and my stomach started to ache. I clenched my fists closed tightly and held my breath. _(I could do this. I had to do this. I was a big girl. NOT a baby.)_ When my Dad was out of my sight, I lost it. I shoved Uncle Sam's hands from my shoulders and took off running. "Dad stop!" I called after him. I made it to the garage just as he was about to climb into the Impala. "No! Don't go!" I cried as I wrapped my arms around his waist. Tears were falling from my eyes. "I can't let you go! Please! I need you to stay!"

"Libby stop," he stated firmly. "It's only 15 minutes." I felt my hands being pried from my Dad and glanced over my shoulder to find Uncle Sam. I tried to fight Uncle Sam's strength but he was so strong. Once he pried me off, he wrapped his arms around me tightly from behind.

"Dean, I got her, just go," Sam ordered. I felt like a little kid being left at preschool for the first time. I hated that I was reacting this way.

"Let me go!" I demanded. Dad looked back at me, frowned, and then disappeared into his car. Sam pulled me away, kicking and screaming. "Uncle Sam no! I can't do this!" He picked me up from behind and carried me to the TV room. He sat down and placed me on his lap, still holding onto me tightly. "What if he gets hurt Uncle Sam?" I pleaded as tears streamed down my cheeks. "What if I never see him again?"

"Libby, he'll be ok," he replied reassuringly. "Come on honey...take a deep breath. You can do this and I'm here to help you."

"Everyone I love dies," I sobbed. Uncle Sam turned me sideways so that I could see him. He continued to hold me tightly and pulled me gently against him as he rocked me back and forth. I relaxed slightly, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad could happen to my Dad. "How much longer Uncle Sam?" I asked after a little while. I still couldn't stop the tears from falling from my eyes and I felt like I was going to throw up. Uncle Sam glanced down at his watch.

"About 5 more minutes," he replied. "You did good Libby...it will get easier everyday...I promise."

"I don't understand...why can't he just stay with me all the time?" I questioned. Uncle Sam smiled slightly.

"Come on Libs, we both know that's not realistic," he replied gently as he rubbed my back.

"I know," I pouted. "I just...I hate this." Just then my Dad appeared in the doorway. "You're back!" I cried excitedly as I jumped up from the couch and ran to him. He extended his arms and then wrapped them around me.

"She did good," Uncle Sam commented. "Tomorrow we move it up to 30 minutes." _(Ugh! This was going to be exhausting!)_

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Later that evening I was sitting at the table in the main room reading while Uncle Sam and Dad scrolled through their laptops searching for cases. The buzzer to the door echoed through the room, startling me. Both Uncle Sam and Dad looked up from their computers and looked over at me. "I think that may be for you," Uncle Sam stated. I looked at him with surprise. I had no idea who would come and visit me. I didn't know anyone in Kansas. The bell rang again. "Well...go open the door," Uncle Sam urged.

"What's going on?" I asked curiously. They both smiled and then refocused their attention back on their laptops. I hesitantly walked up the stairs to the door and pulled it open. I saw Jody standing in front of me with a big smile on her face. "Jody!" I exclaimed. It had been a while since I had seen her and I missed her.

"Hi Libby," she greeted. I smiled and gave her a hug. As I hugged her, I peered around her to see if Claire was there too. But to my surprise, it wasn't Claire, it was Curtis! I screeched with excitement. I released my hold on Jody and quickly stepped around her. Curtis was standing there with a big smile on his face. His left arm was still in a sling and his right foot was in a boot, but other than that, he looked fantastic. "I brought you some visitors," I heard Jody mention.

"O.M.G.!" I declared excitedly. "Curtis!" I threw my arms around him excitedly. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Hey Kansas," he replied. "I missed you."

"Ok, ok, enough of that," my Dad's voice interrupted. "You can let each other go now." I felt my Dad's hand on my shoulder and he gently pulled me away. I stepped back and noticed a little face peering around Curtis. Blonde curls hung in her face and her blue eyes watched worriedly.

"Is this your sister?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, this is Quinn," Curtis replied as he took her hand and gently guided her so that she was standing next to him. She was cute with long, blonde ringlets and a splattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She looked to be about 5 or 6 years old. I watched as she looked up at Dean worriedly as if she was frightened by him. "She's really shy. She doesn't talk much," Curtis mentioned.

"Hi Quinn," I said as I smiled down at her. "I'm Libby." She quickly looked away from me and wrapped her little arms around Curtis. I felt bad for her.

"Come on in everyone, you must be hungry," Dean commented as he tried to shuffle us down the stairs into the main room. I looked over at Curtis and smiled as we headed downstairs. I was so happy to see him and I couldn't wait to spend some time with him.

"How long are you here for?" I questioned to Jody who was walking in front of me.

"Just the weekend," Jody replied. "I have to get back to work. I just wanted you to see for yourself that Curtis was almost all healed."

"Thank you, it's the best surprise ever!" I replied excitedly as I glanced over at Curtis and smiled again.

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 _ **A/N: This concludes part 4! I hope you enjoyed it! Please stayed tuned for part 5!**_


	11. Chapter 11

Part 5 is up on my page! Please enjoy!


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